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PhotDgrapilic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WERSTER.N.Y.  14580 

(716^  873-4503 


'^'^'"^  '^'^"^ 


l/u 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  IMotes/iMotes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
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□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 


n 
□ 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Lo  titre  de  couverture  manque 

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D 

D 
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n 


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FT]    Additional  comments:/ 


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Various  pagii«g$. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 
Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  cidessous. 
^QX  14X  18X  22X 


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12X 


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24X 


28X 


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details 
jes  du 
modifier 
jer  une 
filmage 


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The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  than'x^ 
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shall  contain  the  symbol  — •►  (meaning  "CON- 
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whichever  applies. 

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right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
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premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  seion  le 
cas:  le  symboie  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Stre 
film^s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  I'angle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droits, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  ruivants 
iliustrent  la  m6thode. 


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mm(5.  (^mmmjs'mm  'ineijE:  :mi^w.  ]WTird^-m. 


.   ''. .'  f-^'-.rii.;:';Ka.c?  NK^vYDHK. 


A  POPULAR 


History  of  iRELAm 


FROH  TBI  * 


EARLIEST  PERIOD 


TO  THE 


^mmi^im  ni  l\t  ^zi\tlt:a. 


BT 


I 


THOMAS  D'ARCY  MoGEE,  B.C.L. 

Corresponding  Member  of  the  New  York  Hiatorical  SocUiy. 
EE7ISED  AND  CONTINUED  TO  THE  PaESENI  TIME, 

BT 

D.  p.  CONYNGHAM,  LL.D. 

m  TWO  VOLUMES. 
VOL.  I. 


Ua 


NEW  YORK: 
D.  &  J.  SADLISR  &  CO.,  31  BARCLAY  ST., 

HONTBBAL  :  NOTBB  3AMB  ST. 


LF   ':D/^9/o-  Mi^  /eer  y./ 


•'  COPTRTOHT! 

D.  &  J.  SADLIEB  &  00., 

1885. 


f! 


DEDICATIOir. 


TO  MRS.  JAMES  SADLIER, 

craw  TOKK.) 

Mr  Dbab  Fsiraro: 

I  proposed  to  myself  long  ago,  „  yon  are  a^a™, 
to  prepare,  for  the  use  and  instruotion  of  our  country, 
men  and  women  in  America,  a  Popto^r  HrsTonr  of 
Ibbland.    I  did  not  presume  to  attempt  a  history  of 
our  Fatherland,  still  less  the  history;  afl  that  I  hoped 
to  accomplish,  considering  the  obstacles  to  such  a 
work  which  surround  me,  was  a  feithfal  and  toler- 
ably  full  compendium  of  that  eventful  and  chequered 
story. 

In  making  this  compilation,  the  rules  which  guided 
■ne  were  chiefly  to  bring  out  the  great  events,  in  their 
WUbve  degrees  of  prominence;  to  anbordinate  d^ 


101  /:?f^ 


rr 


n    i 


IT 


DEDICATION. 


tails  to  general  effects;  to  put  the  first  foremost,  and 
the  secondary  second ;  to  emphasize  tlie  epochs ;  to 
throw  the  strongest  light  upon  the  cardinal  charac- 
ters;  to  assign  rational,  believable  causes,  to  strange 
and  uncommon  results ;   in  short,  to  bring  out  the 
rationale  of  Irish  History,  under  a  form  not  censurable 
to  the  rules  of  art.    If  I  have  succeeded  even  in 
Bketching  such  an  outline  as  this,  I,  too,  shall  have 
done  something  for  Irish  History. 

And  now,  my  Dear  Friend,  that  the  labors  of  the 
Printer  are  done,  and  those  of  the  Publisher  about 
to  commence,  the  thought  naturally  arises,  as  to 
which  of  my  friends  I  should  most  of  all  like  to 
derive  pleasure  from  these  volumes.     Among  old 
allies  and  colleagues  of  my  own  sex  I  might  find  it 
difficult  to  fix  a  preference;  but  among  Irieh  ladies, 
there  is,  in  America,  one  whom  all  true  Irishmen 
delight  to  honor.    You  have  watched  over  this  little 
work  with  a  sisterly  anxiety,  for  which  I  can  never 
be  sufficiently  grateful ;   and  your  own  various  and 
admirable    sketches  of  Irish  character  have  been, 
during  its  composition,  my  chief  resource  and  recre- 
ation.    With  the  latest  chapter,  in  point  of  time,  of: 
our  History,  the  chapter  of  the  Exodus,  your  nan^ 


DKDIOATIOK.  _ 

must  be  forever  associated.    No  one  has  known  bow 
to  paint  to  the  new  age,  and  the  new  world,  the 
household  virtues,  the  religious  graces,  the  manly 
and  womanly  characteristics  of  this  ancient  people, 
like  you,  my  Friend  I    I  feel,  therefore,  that  I  but 
offer  another  act  of  homage  to  the  national  character, 
80  honorably  represented,  both  heart  and  intellect,  ij 
your  person,  when  I  ask  you  to  accept  the  dedica- 
tion  of  this  book.  T.  D  M. 

Quiuo,  April  18,  1861 


esr 


J 


M 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  I. 

CHAPTER  I. 
*n«  nnsT  inhabitants, 

CHAPTER  H. 


•       • 


1 


THB  riHST 


AOKg,      , 


•  •  • 


•  • 


•       .     4 


CHAPTER  HL 


OaBISTIAIfITT  PRBACHBD  AT  TA*A-TH« 


»MW.».       ...      10 


CHAPTER  IV. 

»HB  CONSTITimOX,  AND  HOW 


THK  KINGS  KKPT  IT,    .  ,  ^      ^7 

CHAPTER  V. 


B«oN  OF  mroH  n.-Ta.  irish  oolont  in  sooti^d  obtains  i« 

LNDEFGNDXNOK,  ,  wiuahb  OBTAINS  ITS 


9  • 


.    98 


CHAPTER  VL 

KINGS  or  THK  SEVENTH  OENTUBT 


CHAPTER  vn: 

«W08  OF  TBK  EIGHTH  CENTUKT. 


(tU) 


29 


99 


VIU 


CONTKNTg, 


CHAPTER  vnt 


WHAT  TH.  mSE   80HOOM  AND  SAINTS  D„>   n,  TH.   THB..   nui^*""' 
0HEI8TIAN   OENIUMW. 

^      •        •  •        •        .        .    40 


BOOKIL 
CHAPTER  L 


-♦«■  DANISB  INVA8I0». 


49 


CHAPTER  n. 


68 


CHAPTER  HI 
CHAPTER  ly. 

"  *  •  '  •  •  *  '  •  »• 

CHAPTER  V. 

"IGK  or  HAI^cHT  U.  AND  EnrALEY  OF  BRUIT.         ,  ft. 

'        •         •         •     op. 


CHAPTER  Yi 

BMAN,  AED-WOH-BimiC  OF  OI.ONTABF.  . 

CHAPTER  MTi 

•FFBOTS  OK  THlt  ^rVAlET  OF  BEIAN 


•     •  n 


4ir»  KAIJlCaT  ON  THB  AW- 


<paNT  OOJfSTITUnON 

'  •  •  •  .  , 


101 


CON'ffiNTB. 


1« 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

r^TTEB   DATS  OF  THK   NOETHHEN  IN   IBBLAND, 


rAsa 

107 


BOOK  III. 
CHAPTER  I. 

THE  FORTUNES  OF   THE  FAMILY   OF  BRIAN.  .  ,,^ 

CHAPTER  n. 

»HB  CONTEST  BETWEEN  THE  NORTH  AND  SOUTH— RTgK  OF  THK 

FAMILY   OF  O'CONOR, j^^ 

CHAPTER  HI. 

tHOELOGH  MORE  O'CONOR-MUEKERTACH  OF  AILEACH-AOOESSION 
OF  RODERICK  O'CONOB 

'     •        • 126 

CHAPTER  IV. 

WATE  OF  RELIGION  AND   LEARNING  AMONG   THE   IRISH   PREVIOUS 

TO  TUa  ANGLO-NOBMAN  INVASION, jgg 

CHAPTER  V. 

■OCUL  CONDITION  OF  THE   IRISH  PBETIOUS  TO   THE   NOEMAN  PT- 
VASION,    ,  .  * 

141 

CHAPTER  VI. 

rORRiGN    RELATIONS    OF    THK    IRIflH    PREVIOUS    TO    THK   ANGLO- 

KOEMAN  INVASION,    .  ,  ,     ' 


7 


f  I 


i 


COMTENTB, 

BOOK  IV. 
CHAPTER  I. 

WRMin   M'MUBEOOU'8    NKGOTIATIOXS    AND    8UCCK8«_TU, 

«rK.,„0.  O,  XH«   .OKMA.S  .XO  XBr."^"/™  ,,, 

CHAPTER  H. 


PAOI 


CHAPTER  m. 
CHAPTER  IV. 

MOOND   CAMPAIGN  OF  KARL  EICHARD-HEXaT  TT    rv 

«w— HENRY  n.  IN  IRBI.AND,   .    175 

CHAPTER  V. 

FROM  XHE  RETURN  OF  HENRV  tt  .r«  » 

CHAPTER  VI. 
™  ""  "^  »'  »-  "»•"«».  «o.«a,«  oWo„  .       .  ,8, 

CHAPTER  VII. 

AMASSINAXrON  OF  HUGH  DE  LAOT-JOHN  «  T  .r^  ^ 

-VARIOUS  EXPEmxroNs^F  2v    ';'^^^    "'^"^^i* 

OOXOR   MOXNMOV.  ANO  R  SE  OF  ^ I    Z^'"''^''^''  "" 
O'C0NOR-..0SE    OF    XHE    JLer    O.    n  ^"^«*^'=^'' 

BURGH,     ...  """^    "^^    ^""'^C^   ^^D   D> 

IW 

CHAPTER  VHL 

*y^B  OF   THE  THIRXEENXH  OENTUBr-THB   NORHAK.   «, 

NAUGHT,  .  ,  »«— THK   NORICANS   W  OOK- 

201 


iriN- 

- 

.  169 

ND,  . 

175 

a  or 

• 

181 

CONTENTS.  ^ 

CHAPTER  rx. 

BT£B  AND  LKINSTEK. 

.  206 

CHAPTER  X. 

21f 

CHAPTER  XI. 

xa.  MaxxAHv  tactic  ok  thk  t^ks-no  conqckst  oTIh^ 

COUNTBT  ,N   THE  THIRTEENTH   CENTURY,       .  .  .  220 

CHAPTER  Xn. 
*       * 227 

BOOK  V. 
CHAPTER  L 

THE    RISE    OF    "THE  HETl    vai>t  "      «». 

*aj5   «ED    KARL    RELATIONS    OF    IRICTAvn    .«» 

SCOTLAND,  ,  IRHXAND  AND 

28a 

CHAPTER  H. 

»HE   NORTHERN  IRISH   ENTER   IN,^  ^,^,,eE  W,™   KINO   ROBERT 

BHUOE-ARRIVAL  AND    FIRST  CAH.AION   OF   EDWAR.   bT;;:  287 

CHAPTER  HI. 

WUCE'S  SECOND   CAMPAIGN.   AND  CORONATION  AT  DUNDALK-TH. 
.SI^.NNA.H^3ATTLE  OF  ATHENE.  Jr^Brc: 

24» 


-:yf- 


i   L 


I'M 


fl 


xii 


OONTSKTa, 


CHAPTER  IV. 


rAsa 


''^'''=^"=^^'^=«  OF  HIS  INVASION-KXTINOriON   OF  TUK  EAHI,-         " 
DOM   Oir  UI^TEB-IBISH   OPINION   OK   BDWAED   BBUCK.  248 


BOOK  VI. 

CHAPTER  I. 

emL  WAR  m  exolaxi>-™  EPKEm  ox  the  AxoLo-rEise-THK 

IKIsZ  ''  '"'''  ^OHK-OKXKKA.    OKSIEK  OK  THE  AKGI^ 
KISH  TO  NATURALIZE  THEMSELVES  AMONG  THE   NATIVE  POPU- 
LATION-A  POLICY  OK  NON-INTERCOURSE  BETWEEN  THE  RACE8 
BE80LVED   ON,  IN   ENGLAND.         .  „,„ 

•        •        •        .        .263 
CHAPTER  H. 

LIONEL  DUKE  OK  CLAKENCE.  LORD  LIEUTENANT-^.  PENAL  CODE 
OK  RACE-"  THE  STATUTE  OK  KILKENNY."  AND  SOME  OK  IJS 
CONSEQUENCES. 

•        •        .        .        .261 
CHAPTER  HL 

AET     MMURROOH.     LORD     OK     LEINSTER-KIRST     EXPEDITION     OK 

RICHARD  n.,  OK  ENGLAND.  TO   IRELAND,        .  .  ,  268 

CHAPTER  IV. 

.UB8EQUENT  PROCEEDINGS  OK  RICHARD  H.-LIEUTENANOT  AND 
DEATH  OK  THE  EARL  OK  MARCH-SECOND  EXPEDITION  OF 
RICHARD  AGAINST  ART  m'muRROGH-CHANGE  OK  DYNASTY  IN 


ENGLAND. 


276 


CHAPTER  V. 


fABTIES    WITHIN    "  THE  Patw"      i..m™,» 

THE  PALE    —BATTLES     )F    KILMAWnAM    AND 

KlLLtlCAN-BlB  JOHN  TALBOT's  LORD  LIEUTENANCT,      .  ,   28f 


POKTENTS. 


xifl 


CHAPTER  VI. 


a — THE 

ANGLO- 

C  POPU- 

BAC£S 

.  253 


^  CODE 
>V  ITS 

.  261 


PASS 


Am«  of  the  native  I'BINCES-SUBDIVISION  OF  TBIBE8  AND  TEB 
BITORIE8-ANGI.O-mi8H  T0WK8  UNDER  NATIVE  PBOTEOTION- 
ATTEMPT  ok  THADDEUS  O'BRIEN,  PRINCE  OF  THOMOND,  TO 
EE8TORB  THE   MONARCHY-RELATIONS  OF  THE   RACES  IN  THE 

nrrEENTH  century. 

' 298 


CHAPTER  VH. 


CONTINUED  DIVISION  AND  DECLINE  OF  "THE  ENGLISH  INTEREST* 
-RICHARD,  DUKE  OF  YORK,  LORD  LIEUTENANT-CIVIL  WAR 
AGAIN  IN  ENGLAND-EXECUTION  OF  THE  EARL  OF  DESMOND 
—ASCENDANCY  OF  THE  KILDARE  QERALDINES,     .  808 


CHAPTER  VHI. 


THE  AGE  AND  EULB  OF  GERALD,  EIGHTH  EARL  OF  KILDARE-THB 
TIDE  BEGINS  TO  TURN  FOE  THE  ENGLISH  INTEREST-THB 
YORKIST  PRETENDERS,  8IMNEL  AND  WARBEGK-POYNING'e 
PARLIAMENT-BATTLES  OF   KNOOKDOE  AND  MONABRAHER,    .    SH 

CHAPTER  IX. 

STATE  OF  IRISH  AND    ANGLO-IRISH    SOCIETY    DURING    THE  FOC- 

TEENTH  AND  FIFTEENTH   CENTURIES,  00% 

'  •  •  •  •   oat 

CHAPTER  X. 

KATE  OF  REUOION    AND    LEARNING    DURING    THE    FOimTP^v.o 
AUD  FIFTEENTH  OENTUR.S,       .  FOURTEENTH 


BOOK  vn. 

CHAPTER  I. 

IRISH  POUOT  OF  HENRT  THE  E.GHTH  DURING  THE  LIFETIVK  OT 
CARDINAL  WOISBT. 

'  •        •        •        .        .        ,        .  841 


i  I 


xiv 


CONTKNTg, 


CHAPTER  n. 


FAflS 


«•  .XSOEWOTIOK  OF  M„™  THOMAS™, 

''     ■       •        .US 


CHAPTER  m. 


"°  "^Taz^":^^',;;^  "-""-^-oom.,0™  or  ™ 

OPPOSmOM    OF    THE    cLMnv      ,         ""^  '"'"'OBM„,„k_ 

" ' 8«0 


CHAPTER  IV. 


i'il! 


1  I 


BOOK  Tin. 
CHAPTER  I 

CHAPTER  H. 


EVENTS  OP  THB  B.IQN  OF 


POiUP  AND  MART,  . 


S70 


87< 


CHAPTER  nr. 

AOOESglON  OF   QTJEEV    »tt».« 

"ra.  P.OW,-  "'"^"'""  '^'>  "■*»  0,  ,„„,  o.^ 


880 


OOHTENTt. 


X? 


CHAPTER  rV'. 

•ni   HENKT    einMCT'8    DKPUTVSinP-PAKLIAMEXT   OP    1869--TME 
SECOND    "QmALDViK   LKACUK  "      a,„ 

wiutAU^Uii   LEAGUi.    ~8ia   JAMES  FIT2MAURICE.  .    891 


PAoa 


CHAPTER  V. 

n^DEEXAKEKs"    m   tXSTEK   AM,   .EXNSXER-DKKEAT "  AXH 
!ATH   OF  SIB   jA-uva   r..™,„ • 


DEATH   OF  SIR   JAMES  FITZMAUKICE, 


400 


CHAPTER  VI. 


HONE— PARLIAMENT   OF    1685 


CHAPTER  Vn. 


"the  t"''-'^'^   """   •"='"^«^^'«   -MXN.STKA.r,0. 
ESCAPE   T""     —--LORD     DEPUTV     FXT.WUUAM- 

THE   ULSTER   CONFEDERACY   FORMED. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 


PAION  OF  1696_„KaomTIO.,8,  EN0U8B  AKD  8PAM,8a-B*, 


CHAPTER  K. 


431 


CHAPTER  X 


^        .  489 


Flrf? 


x>i 


OONTSNTS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


PA*(f 


MIMION  OK   yZr     !  "  ''''  ="ZABKTH,   AND    SUB- 

««'ON  OK   0  NEI W  XHB  AETI0LK8  OK  M.U.IKONX/'  .   46| 


CHAPTER  XH. 


*   •     •     •     > 

467 


BOOK  IX. 
CHAPTER  I. 

fAlfSg    I. — FLIGHT  OF  THE    n-APro      „« 

PKNAT.   TAwa  «ARI,S-COXFI80ATION   OK  ULSTER— 

PBNAL  lAies-PAELIAMENTAEY   OPPOSITION.  ^«« 

CHAPTER  II. 

I^  YBAE8  OK  JAMES-CONFISCATION   OF   THE    Mrnr  .v« 

TIES-ACCESSION  OF  CHAELES I -I™  '"''^• 

• — GRIEVANCES  AND  "  GEAntft" 

-ADMINISTEATION  OF   LOED  8TEAFF0ED,   .  ^., 

'  •         •         •  47# 

CHAPTER  in. 

lo"!        7""".  "^"'"'--'-  »'   ""-TH.  «,«. 

486 

CHAPTER  IV. 

TBE  INSUERECTION  OK   1641 

' 494 

CHAPTER  V. 

to    CATHOLIC    C0NFEDEEATI0N-IT8    dm    OOVBE^ME^    Aim 
MiLITARr  ESTABLISHMENT  ^««'»MEXT    AKD 

'604 


OOKTEKTg. 


XVi! 


CHAPTER  VL 


FAOI 


f«   OONFKDKBATE   WAB-OAMPAIGN   OF    1643--TH.    CKWATION,   51« 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

OB   CESSATION   AND   ITS   CONSEQUENCES, 51J 

CHAPTER  Vni. 

aiAMOUGAN's    TREATT-THB    NEW    NUNO.O    EINUOOINI-o'neIl's 

POSITION— THE  BATTLE   OV   BENBUBB,  .  ,  ,  ^525 


CHAPTER  IX. 

»KOM   THE  BATTLE  OF  BENBUBB  TILL  THE  LANDING  OF  CROMWELL 

AT  DUBLIN,        ...  ^„„ 

' 683 

CHAPTER  X. 

CBOMWELL's  CAMPAIGN— 1649-1660.        .  .  «.o 

'         •  •  •  •  •   OoV 


CHAPTER  XL 

CLOSE  OF  THE   OONFEDEEATE   WAE 

'  *  •  *  •  • 

CHAPTER  Xn. 

IBILAND  UNDER  THE  PROTECTORATE— ADMiNISTKATIOjr  a»  bW»T 
CROMWELL —DEATH  OF   OUVEE. 


M8 


648 


BOOK  X. 
CHAPTER  L 


•noil  or  CQARLI8  n.. 


058 


CHAPTER  n. 
■nos  Of  cnAiiiBs  n.  (concluded.)     .    . 


.  56ft 


xviii 


OOWTEHTi. 


CHAPTER  ni. 

fHB  8TATH   Of   RKLIOION-   AM)    *  ica»v.««  '**"" 

662 

CHAPTER  IV. 

iOCEMlON  OF  JAMK8   II.~TVHCONNKLU 


8   ADMINI8TIUTI0W,  ,  ,    Q^S 


CHAPTER  V. 


KINO  JAMBS   IN   IRKLAND— , 


RI8U   PARLIAMENT  OF   1699 


678 


CHAPTER  VT. 

JHE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR— CAMPAIGN  OP  IfiflQ 

AND   KNNISK.LLEN  l689-flIEQE8  OF  D.R^y 

' .678 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

*H«   RKVOLirrrONART   WAR—, 


CAMPAIGN   OF    1690 BATTt*  «- - 

BOTNE-.^    C0N8«,Ui^CES-TLK    SIEOr  OF  A^, 
IIMBRIOK.  °'  ATHLONB    AND 


689 


683 

CHAPTER  Vm. 

ras  WINTER  OF  1690-91 

CHAPTER  IX. 

TD-    RKVOLUTIONART    WAR -CAMPAIGN    OF     1691  „.^ 

ACaH.UM-.APITU.AnoN  OF   UMKRICF       '    '^  -  "^"^^    <>'  ^^^ 

*      •        •        •        .692 


WaON   OF  KINO   WaWAM. 


CHAPTER  X 


.  697 


CHAPTER  XL 

«■»»  OF  QUKBU  AKMB,  .  . 

•  '  •  •  .  . 


i 


606. 


00HTEWT9. 


URINO  THJI 

.  662 


^>  .         .  CCS 


CHAPTER  XIL 


i  678 


F  DKRRT 

.    678 


OF  TOE 
'B    AND 

.    688 


.  689 


LB    OF 

.  692 


.  897 


600. 


»▲•■ 


IB.     IRISU    aotO.KM     .BttOAD.    D«R,NO    T..>   R.,OK.  OF  WILUAM 
4NI»   A.VNB,         ,  .  — «■ 

610 


BOOK  XI. 
CHAPTER  I. 

ACCESSION   OF  OKORG.   U-SWirp's   LEADER8.I1P.  *,, 

'  •  •  •  010 

CHAPTER  n. 

«.GX  O.  OEORG.  „.-aROWa.,  OK  PUBLIC  8P.R,T-TH.  "  ^^mi^ 


rAKTV-LORD   CIIESTERKIKLD's  ADMINISTRATION. 


619 


CHAPTER  HI. 

TH.   LAST  MCOBITK   MOVEMENT-T„E    IRI8U    SOLD.ERS  ABROAD- 

^BENCH    EXPEDITION   UNDER   TIIUROT.  OR  o'faRRELL,      .  .   624 

CHAPTER  IV. 

RKrON   OF  GEORGE  n.  (C0NCLUDED)-HAL0Ne'8  LEADERSHIP,  .   630 

CHAPTER  V. 

ACCESSION  OF  GEORGE  UI.-KLOOD's  I^D.RSUIP-OCTKNNUL  PAR- 
LUMENTS   ESTABUSIIED.      .  "^^l^NNUL  PAR- 


686 


CHAPTER  VL 


640 


CHAPTER  vn. 

«UTTAN'8  LEADKB8HIP— "FBRE  TRADE " 


AND  THB  TOtUNTETOB,   644 


C0NTKNT8. 

CHAPTER  Vlir. 

649 

CHAPTER  IX 

TnR   ERA   OK  ,«0,rK.nENCK-na«x  PICHXOP,        .  . 

'      •        •        •        .  664 
CHAPTER  X. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

«IE  EIU    OF    INDEPENDENCE— THIBD    PFpt^,. 

■lU.   OK   1798  "JWOD-CATIIOUO    BELIEF 

'  *  •  •  .  ^ 

J  •       •       •        .       .  670 

CHAPTER  Xri. 

THE   E«A   OF  INDEPENDENOfi— KKKKCTS   nw  ,,..- 

-o.  XN  --nd-s.oe::oT^'  ;;^/r,^,^"  «--- 

TilKmKHrENDS,KaOMPA«U.M.NT.INm7    '  '"'''    '^'^ 

'      ^"'''       •        .       .077 
CHAPTER  XIII. 

»HE   UNITED   laiSHMBM 

'      •  •  I 

686 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

mCGOTTATIONS   WITH   FRANCE   AND    HOLLAND      ru, 

Omoss  NEGOTIATED   BV   TONE Td   ..7  """'    '""■ 

lONB   AND   LEWINE8,      ,  ,  ^    gg/j 

CHAPTER  XV. 

»HE  INSUBBECnON   OF    1798 

•••••. 6M 
CHAPTER  XVI 

--..„o.   OF    1798-  .HE   WKXKORD   H.S.BKEC.ON,  .    ,00 


OOWTKKTS.  __| 

CHAPTER  XVn. 

717 

CHAPTER  XVm. 

AimiNISTRATION   OF  LORD  CORNWALLIS-BEFORE  TDK   UNION,        .   727 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

lAW  8«SI0N   OK  T„K  .R,s„  PARLIAMENT-XUB  I«„,^x.T.  .N.ON 

OF   GU£AT   BRITAIN   AND   IRELAND,        .  .  ,  .  1^ 

BOOK  XII. 
CHAPTER  I. 

AFTKB   THE    DNION— .DEATH    OF    rnnn    n,  .„™ 

■MKUTE  CLARE— ROBERT    EMMBTt's 

"      ' :    '      .      .747 

CHAPTER  n. 

ADHmiSTRATION   OF  LORD    HARDWICK   (1801    TO    1806)     AND    OF 

THE   DUKE  OF  BKDKORD  (1806   TO   180S),  T  /'      ^  7M 

CHAPTER  m. 

.O^HN^TRATION   OF  ^E    D.KE    OF    RICHMOND  (1807   TO    1813),    760 

CHAPTER  IV. 

•'OONNELL'8  LEADERSHIP  (1813   TO    1821) 

' 770 

CHAPTER  V. 

"••••..  777 


KzH 


COKTEWT8. 


n-- 


CHAPTER  VI. 

»RE   IBlsa   ABROAD,  J>XmiXQ 


FASI 


THK   REIGN   OF  GBORGK  m.,    .  .   -^gg 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

-KU^^   .KAOKRSHX^™,  OATHOUO  ASSOCUXZO.  (1821    ,0 


181 


CHAPTER  VIH. 

O'OftlWELL's  LEADERSHIP— THE  ar  Ar,v  x-r^ 

OF  THK  OATHOIIC,  .  .  ='=<^"0^-^«AXC,PAWOir 


.  991 


POPTJJL,AR 

HISTORY  OF  IRELAND. 


BOOK  I. 

THE  MILESIAN  MONARCHr. 


CHAPTER  1, 

»HB   FIRST  INHABITAHTg. 

quarter  .id  tea ind.third  Welt  wt  ^7  ''■  ""^  *"  »»^  • 
el.e  first  by%,e  w{i  Hrrt  thTre  ""Th  t  "i"  ^■""»'  •"" 
ahape  it  may  be  comuar^fl  fn  «««    c^x.  *         isritam,  and  in 

coat«f  .r:^.  the  fXpro:!  :/r,:r  "r '"'""'=''  "•  -• » 

.nd  Manster-^reeentin..  Ji!T  ■■'  <^™'"'"Sl't,  LeuMter. 

Around  thTZZ"  Jtt  f^r"'*™  °'""'  """-'• 
-era,  ™ge,  0,1^,  a  d  l^S  r?."^  ""  "«'  ""^ 
Province  havio.,  one  or  n,«ln  "■'"■  "^»''.  ""^y 

have.  however^rLr,    '"t-^"'"'^-     "«■  ^^^'  ■"«»  South 


\ 


\ 


*  POPULAR    HI8T0RT    OF   IRELAND. 

Of  Lough  Neagh  {Nay).  In  a  few  districts  wheic  the  fall  for 
water  is  insufficient,  marsh-s  and  swamps  were  Ion-  a-o 
formed,  of  which  the  principal  one  occupies  nearly  240  0Co'acm3 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  country.  It  is  called  "the  Bo-  of 
Allen,"  and,  though  quite  useless  for  farming  purposes,  ''still 
selves  to  supply  the  surrounding  district  with  fuel,  nearly  a3 
well  as  coal  mines  do,  in  other  couatries. 

In  former  times,  Ireland  was  as  well  wooded  as  watered 
though  hardly  a  tree  of  the  primitive  forest  now  remains  One 
ot  the  earliest  names  applied  to  it  was  "  the  wooded  Island  "  and 
the  export  of  timber  and  staves,  as  well  as  of  the  furs  of  wild 
animals,  continued,  until  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, to  be  a  thriving  branch  of  trade.  But  in  a  succession  of  civil 
and  religious  wars,  the  axe  and  the  torch  have  done  their  work  of 
destruction,  so  that  the  age  of  most  of  the  wood  now  standing 
does  not  date  above  two  or  three  generations  back. 

Who  were  the  first  inhabitants  of  this  Island,  it  is  impossible 
to  say,  but  we  know  it  was  inhabited  at  a  very  early  period  of 
the  world's  lifetime-probably  as  early  as  the  time  when  Solo- 
raon,  the  Wise,  sat  in  Jerusalem  on  the  throne  of  his  father  David 
As  we  should  not  altogether  reject,  though  neither  are  we  bomid 
to  believe,  the  wild  and  uncertain  traditions  of  which  we  have 
neithei  documentary  nor  monumental  evidence,  we  will  glance 
over  rapidly  what  the  old  Bards  and  Story-tellers  have  handed 
down  to  us,  concerning  Ireland  before  it  became  Christian. 

The  first  story  they  tell  is,  that  about  three  hundred  years 
after  the  Universal  Deluge,  Partholan,  of  the  stock  of  Japhet 
sailed  down  the  Mediterranean,   "leaving  Spain  on  the  right 
hand,"  and  holding  bravely  on  his  course,  reached  the  shores" of 
the  ^vooded  western  Island.      This  Partholan,  they  tell  us,  was 
a    double    parricide,    having    killed    his    father    and    mothftP 
before  leaving  his  native  country,  for  which  horrible  crimes,"  S',^ 
the  Bards  very  morally  conclude,  his  posterity  were  fated  ne'ver  " 
to  possess  the  land.     After  a  long  interval,  and  when  they  were 
greatly  increased  in  numbers,  they  were  cut  off  lo  the  last  man 
by  a  dreadful  pestilence.  * 

The  story  of  the  second  immigration  is  almost  as  va-ue  as  that  of 
the  first.  The  leader  this  time  is  called  Nemedh,  and  hiL  route  is  de- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


3 


acribed  as  leading  from  the  shores  of  the  Black  Sea,  across  what  is 
now  Russia  in  Europe,  t )  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  from  the  Baltic  to  Ire- 
land.    He  is  said  to  have  built  two  royal  forts,  and  to  have 
"  cleared  twelve  plains  of  wood"  while  in  Ireland.     He  and  his 
posterity  were  constantly  at  war,  with  a  terrible  race  of  Fornio- 
rians,  or  Sea  Kings,  descendants  of  Ham,  who  had  fled  from 
northern  Africa  to  the  western  islands  for  refuge  from  their  ene- 
mies,  the  sons  of  Shem.    At  length  the  Formorians  prevailed, 
and  the  children  of  the  second  immigration  were  either  slain  or 
driven  into  exile,  from  Avhich  some  of  their  posterity  returned 
long  afterwards,  and  again  disputed  the  country,  under  two 
different  denominations. 

The  Firholgs  or  Belgae  are  the  third  immigration.    They  were 
victorious  under  their  chiefs,  the  five  sons  of  Dela,  and  divided  the 
island  into  five  portions.    But  they  lived  in  davs  when  the  earth 
—the  known  parts  of  it  at  least-^was  being  eagerly  scrambled  for 
by  the  overflowing  hosts  of  Asia,  and  they  were  not  long  left  in 
undisputed  possession  of  so  tempting  a  prize.    Another "expedi- 
tion,  claiming  descent  from  the  common  ancestor,   Nemedh 
arrived  to  contest  their  supremacy.     These  las^the  fouHh  im- 
migration—are depicted  to  us  as  accomplished  soothsayers  and 
necromancers  who  came  out  of  Greece.    They  could  quell  storms  • 
cure  diseases;  work  in  metals  ;  foretell  future  events;  forge  mZ 
gical  weapons;  and  raise  the  dead  to  life;  they  are  called  the 
Tuatha  de  Danans,  and  by  their  supernatural  power,  as  well  as 
by  virtue  of  "the  Lia  Fail,"  or  fabled  "stone  of  destiny,"  they 
subdned  their  Belgic  kinsmen,  and  exercised  sovereignty  over 
them,  till  they  in  turn  were  displaced  by  the  Gaelic^  or  Mh 
immigration. 

This  fifth  and  final  colony  called  themselves  alternately  or  at 
different  periods  of  their  history,  Gael,  from  one  of  their  remote 
ancestors ;  Milesians,  from  the  immediate  projector  of  their  end- 
gration;  or  Scoti,  from  Scota, the  mother  of  Milesius.  They  came 
from  Simin  under  the  leadership  of  the  sons  of  Milesius,  whom 
they  liad  lost  during  their  temporary  sojourn  in  that  country.  In 
vain  the  skilful  Tnatha  surrounded  themselves  and  their 
coveted  island  with  magic-uiade  tempest  and  terrors ;  in  vain 
Uiey  reduced  it  in  size  so  as  to  be  almost  invisible  torn  sea- 


4 


POPULAR    HISTORr    OF    IRELAND. 


This  .™er,i„  w„,::Z;ar^.::,;^  -;>■-:■•  0-n  ,veap„„,. 
•t  onco  Poet,  Priest  anrl  Pm  l,  ,  f  ™  "'"S'  ■"  'nramt  limes, 
divided  t.,e  i;ia„rC«ft,«  '  C^m^  T'"  '^''""™'' 
reckoning.  He  was  finally  dZ'nM^  l*''  5°"  ""'  "'  "" 
Avoca,  which  i.  probably  the  Zn  ,v  "y  hat  rL."'  ?  "'" 
."ggestive  of  melody  and  song  eveTsto^  '™'  "^  '*™  «> 

Such  are  the  stories  told  nf  th^  * 

venture™  „ho  first  altelf/y"""""'"'™  ^<"^'»  «'«<«- 

WMerer  moiety  1,  tr„tW  h        °"'"  ™^  ^""""^  """1. 

two  things  are  irtta    haXwCure?''^"?"^''"""™' 

and  Savionr  came  npon  earth   ,hf        ^       °  """^  """■  ^"'^ 

were  known  to  the  mercS"^'  '^n.^M  ."""  '"^""'^  ">'  ^"^ 

from  the  first  to  the  ««.  Cttan  Xt^  r"™"'  °'"'  """ 

wooded  We  ma,le  inroads  on  the  RnT  ^'        ™™'^  <"  "" 

'ven  in  Oa»l.    A^ricola    1,^.!  ''™'"  '"  """"""  ""d 

^oncoia,  tile  Roman  eovemnr  r.f  n,-*  •     • 

re.gn  of  Domitian-the  first  cer^iuryJ^^^'I  ^l  ?"f '"  '°  ^he 

about  his  person:  and  we  are  told^vh    k  ^"''^  ^^^'^^^'» 

sion  of  Ireland  was  tall^rof 'a^' ^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

place;  the  Roman  eaale,  «i.i,^     ^  ^^^  ''  ^^"^^  took 

ta  Britain,  never  cr:i\ri  f  sTaTd  w  '""  T"'""'" 
prired  of  those  latin  hobs  u,  Z  ■'  ?  *  '"  """  <"^ 
valuable  in  the  «,.t  ported  ^f  th   S  ""°7'  "'""'  ■"•'  «" 


!    !: 


il  H 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE     FIRST     AGE8. 


■■•rS 


or  !ro  ?ort;;f  re  rr  *^  ^^^  ^^^  ^^™  ^^  ^«— » 

Bards  and  St~^^  ^'''''  T  "^"'  ^"'^  ^^P^"<^  "«  «- 

-i*       wiui  eacJj  other.    On  certain  main  points  they  do 


POPULAR   HISTORT    OF   IRELAND.  ft 

^e  and  these  are  the  points  which  it  seems  reasonable  for  u. 
to  take  on  their  authority.  " 

As  even  brothers  born  of  the  same  mother,  coming  suddenly 

nto  possession  of  a  prize,  will  struggle  to  see  who  can  getThe 

largest  share,  so  we  find  iu  those  first  ages  a  constau.  succe  s  on 

the  Island  between  them  were  called  Righ,  a  word  which  answer 
toU.eLat,ni?..  and  French  ^oV;  and  the  chief  kin'ormon 

I  of  Th  t '  ''''^■'''^'' ''  ^'°'^-^^'"--  '^'^«  «^^-t  n:^""; 

son  of  the  kmg,  was  the  usual  heir  of  power,  and  was  called  Ihe 
Tan^^ov  successor;  although  any  of  the  family  of  the  Prince 
t  '""^^"Vr '"'  -  °^»^-  k--en,  might  be'chosen  ^ 
by  election  of  the  people  over  whom  he  was  to  rule.    One  cetit' 

causeofexclusionwaspersonaIdeforxnity;forifaPrinc^^^^^^^^ 
lame  or  a  hunchback,  or  if  he  lost  a  limb  by  accident  he  ZsZ 
dared  unfit  to  govern.  Even  after  succession,  any  ser  Ls  "•  ll^ 
entailed  deposition,  though  we  find  the  nam  s  orse  eTal "  1" 
Who  managed  to  evade  or  escape  this  singular  penay.twuTb" 
observed  besides  of  the  Tanist,  that  the  habit  of  appdnl  J  him 
seem,  to  have  been  less  a  law  than  a  custom-  .F^'!^''''^  ^'"^ 
aiivpr<Mi  in  all  +1,    T>      .  t-uscom ;  that  it  was  not 

a.  iversal  ,n  all  the  Provinces ;  that  in  some  tribes  the  succession 
alternated  between  a  double  line  of  Princes-  ar.rl  M,,f  «»c<^«^S'on 
when  the  reignincr  Prince  obtains-!  ih'  ^  sometimes 

Please  him.Jf  til  nomination  of  a  Tanist,  to 

ITI  '  ^        ^^"'  "^^^  ^^^  ^«'^«  t,y  tlie  pubh-c  voice  of 

the  clansmen.    The  successor  to  the  Ard-Riah  nr  At         T 
stead  of-being  simply  calle  1  TnJT^A.u  ^^^"arch.  m- 

nf  if.,.^  T.  Tamst,  had  the  more  soundin«»  title 

of  Roydamna,  or  King-successor  "u"ain„  utie 

meir  patrons.    Then  came  the  Physicians  •  fho  o\.-  f      ^         . , 
tribute  o^eceived  a„„„a,  ,in.  frZ^SoZ'ToXZ' 

proved  too  powe^ur fo    f         "       '  ^"'"  "''''"'-^  ""^^'^^  ^fteu 
uncertainty   of  reciprocal  dependence.    Thu 


h'- 


I    i 


»• 


6 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRKLAKD. 


»o  say,  the  Militia  of  ITlster-  „, '   !,  ""^ '"^  *"* -8"""'*-thnt  is 
»om.tim«  tl>»  royal  4ardtf  Tat  af  7''  "^  ""'""  °'  '''"'"«■•. 

'«.foro.  wTt    ,y  rid     *°^fr' '"""''"«'■'     ^'"^ 

-"  »'.»-.nn.otLr:r:  ri^bytir:  -r^^ "'" 

luerors,  pretty  mncli  ,<,  f  rA™,„  m      T     ^  Milesian  con- 

«ian  Irish  i„.„^t°a„y  ha rr     ™''°"™™<' '»  <•»'•'»  the  MiJe- 

hralsl  in  son.  •  tho  m,„T  0»dfreya  and  Orlondos  cole- 

.0  called  fro™  '.„  ^  hounlT"  .TT  '"  "'^'^^  "'  «-""""» •• 
name  of  hi,  provLe     He  iil    ,^?    f '  '""  ^'•»'  *»  ""*»' 
Of  e<,„„  fal  .  s  Finn    h  7,the?'f  n""  "'""'  '"'"■*"  «-• 
■"■^'■»r„  Action,  Who  rid    ,  th!  ??,""■,'""  ""'  *''"S'"  <« 
century.    Oall  son  JX       i     .         '''"°''  ''^"'"f  «le  second 
<•-  aL,:lTZ  rfTet       '""  "'Connaught,  (one  of  the 
the  Milesiln  ba,*ra::itfa  r"'";'"'"  ™  '^""^  "'  ""■«».°>' 
Oasian  to  sing  his  praises  '='"»'""y.  if  he  had  only  had  aa 

followed  defeat,  so  tj^^H  l'l'"l    /""r"""  °"» 
period  on  one  part  of  the  mT'Z  °'  "  '•"■"''  »'  ™» 

»<»»«  were  not  genemirir   h"'^'"  ""  '""'""'■    *'  ""•- 
else,  till  after  th    fo.h  ilrTtl ,"       Vr"  '"'™'  »'•  ">y-'"»-» 

able  at  a.,  only  hy  lrt:Z;r  Ca  tT "' ThT  ?;;"=""'"•"- 
we  have  the  Hv-Nh]  r-inn    •    .u   "  "*'"®^-     Thus  at  the  north 

called,  from  NlafanrEX^^'^^^^^^  ^"^"--  -«> - 

/Ve  have  already  compted  th    s^  "0;^^^- 
which  the  four  Provinces  represented  tlf      '"       '  '^"'''  '" 
shields  have  also  6.,,.,  or  cZT  ''"'"  ^"''^'■^^'''-    S<.me 

Of  M.ATa  was  the    Jof  I  'ITT'-"''  ^J- ^eral  province 
Meath  included  both    h^  nrL  '''"''  '^'^^^^-     ^'^^  ^"^-"t 

;;outh  to  the  Li^;an,^„:r  :T:rr\r 

demesne,  or  -board  of  the  kind's  tab  e'-;         ^'''  "''  "''"^^^ 

taxes,  except  .hose  of  the  Ard-Ri^h  w  it^ l7! '""''  '""  *^" 

^'"  «i„Ji,  and  Its  relations  to  the  othei 


ti^ 


POPULAR   RISTORT    OF   IRKLAKD.  7 

Provinces  may  be  vaguely  compared  to  those  of  tlie  District  of 
Columbia  to  the  several  States  of  the  North  American  Union. 
Ulster  might  then  be  defined  by  a  line  drawn  from  Sligo 
Harbor  to  the  mouth  of  the  Boyne,  the  line  being  notched  here 
and  there  by  the  royal  demesne  of  Meath ;  Leinster  stretched 
south  from  Dublin  triangle-wise  to  Waterford  Harbor,  but  its  in- 
land line,  towards  the  west,  was  never  very  well  defined,  and  this 
led  to  constant  border  wars  with  Munster ;  the  remainder  of  the 
south  to  the  mouth  of  the  Shannon  composed  Munster;  the 
present  county  of  Clare  and  all  west  of  the  Shannon  north  to 
Sligo  and  part  of  Cavan,  going  with  Connauoht.    The  chief  seata 
of  power,  in  those  several  divisions,  were  Tara,  for  federal  pur- 
poses;    Emania,  near  Armagh,  for  Ulster;  Leighlin,  for  Lein- 
ster; Cashel,  for  Munster;  and  Cbuchain,  (now  Rathcrogan  in' 
Roscommon,)  for  Connaught.  * 

How  the  common  people  lived  within  these  external  divisions 
of  power,  it  is  not  so  easy  to  describe.    AH  histories  tell  us  a 
great  deal  of  kings,  and  battles,  and  conspiracies,  but  very  little 
of  the  daily  domestic  life  of  the  people.    In  this  respect  the  his- 
tory of  Erin  is  much  the  same  as  the  rest ;   but  some  leadin<r 
facts  we  do  know.    Their  religion,  in  Pagan  times,  was  what  the 
moderns  call  Druidism,  but  what  they  called  it  themselves  we 
now  know  not.     It  was  probably  the  same  religion  anciently  pro- 
fessed  by  Tyre  and  Sidon,  by  Carthage  and  her  colonies  in  Spain  • 
the  same  religion  which  the  Romans  have  described  as  existing 
in  great  part  of  Gaul,  and  by  their  accounts,  we  learn  the  awful 
fact,  that  it  sanctioned,  nay,  demanded,  human  sacrifices.    From 
the  few  traces  of  its  doctrines  which  Christian  zeal  has  permitted 
to  survive  in  the  old  Irish  language,  we  see  that  Bdm  or 
"  Crora,"  the  god  of  fire,  typified  by  the  sun,  was  its  chief  divinity- 
that  two  great  festivals  were  held  in  his  honor  on  days  answerhia 
to  the  first  of  May  and  last  of  October.    There  were  also  particu! 
lar  gods  of  poets,  champions   artificers  and  mariners,  just  at 
among  the  Romans  and  Greeks.      Sacred  groves  were  dedicated 
to  those  gods;  Priests  and  Priestesses  devoted  their  lives  to  their 
service;  the  arms  of  the  champion,  and  the  person  of  the  kina 
were  charmed  by  them;  neither  peace  nor  war  was  made  with- 
out  their  sanction;  their  own  persons  and  their  pupils  were  held 


f 


M^i  I 


if,! 


''II  :i     i    :    ilii 
Ithl 


M I  r< 


I'  ! 


'""'""   """XT   0,  ,«,„»„. 


«o™>.iW«d  then,,  ™rri„™  p^d  conr.^^r™'''' '''™' "''■"» 

">«".    So  numerous  Jre  ttlv  •„  P  ?""""  """^  ""  «'"«-  "'^ 

«g.oM,  were  often  served  b;Wem„,ilt  ,      '"'"  ''y"»«»">.a 

to  these  Pagan  day,  was  k„L„  T  al",.  T  '"'"■  "'""'  •'•" 

«.e  "Sacred  Wand."    BealdeT^Kl";"  *'  """'«'=  "-"tries  „ 

Bmlds,  (Who  were  also  »;  ^  ,^77'.*''  '""""'•  ■""  *« 

««t  ages,)  there  were  innmner^M!?!;     I!'^'  ""''  ^™''<'"»  °'  «•• 

nobte  birth  and  blood/?Zrvr'f'''''*''"^*'"'» 
Priests  ..  be  the  only  free^^^     The  T    """  ""'  """»"  ""<« 

I»M«»ing  certain  legal  rl.hts  wtr.        T' '"'  '■'™'"'  "'«"«1> 
tho  Artisans,  the  smllhs  and  I™:!'":'''-^"'  «ei  while  t, 
much  considemtion.    The  buwl  „f? '^'^  "^ '""''«"' »' 
towers,  of  which  a  hundred  ruiT  1  "««« .«>3'8terious  round 
been  a  privileged  order.    But  the  milf »  h  T"'  '"'"'  "'»»  ''"• 
occupations,  left  altogetherto  slave?  1^  ■'"  '°°"  ""»  »"'"• 
to  the  mark*,.p,ac„s"„f  Britl     tL^:" '" '^'''».  or  purchased 
that  of  the  farm-laborer,  seem,  Jt  ^  "'  *"  ^^'''"»'^.  'ike 
»en,  While  the  ,uem  kndThe  rtntl*        °""^  O"'"' bonds, 
the  hands  of  the  bondswomen  """*  '*"  delusively  i„ 

«:="^''^h'e\"^:,r:ri^^^^^^ 

c^own^i  sons  of  Milesians ,  Tyat  L^^'lT '  ''™'"""'»-  ">« 
but  Heremhon  soon  became  Ss  of  .1°^  ""  '"^"''  '"-'y, 
battle,  and  established  his  o^  l"!  '  ""''""'  *"  ""»  ■» 
"aa  King,  and  bnilt  seven  rZl  Zf''-    ""  "'"  P'«'Pbet 
«.ign  the  arts  „f  dyeing  in  c^to  j!  1  T  L  "'"'■"■"»  ■  -  '"» 
•"'gulshing  of  classes  by  t^„lT     'T""""'^'  "■"*  'beOi'- 
".itted  to  wear,  was  decrC   Z«     i  f  '°'°"  """^  ''^"'  Per- 
the  Convention  of  Tarn  ^^h  ^      h,  ^  '  ""^  '"^">  "^''"bllshed 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND.  Q 

mnch  of  liis  time  upon  the  sea;  a  solitary  queen,  nanwd  Macha 
appears  in  the  succession,  from  whom  Armagh  takes  its  name ' 
except  Mab,  the  mythological  Queen  of  Connaught,  she  is  the 
sole  female  ruler  of  Erin  in  the  first  ages;  Owen  or  Eugene  Mor 
("  the  Great")  is  remembered  as  the  founder  of  the  notable  fam- 
ihes  who  rejoice  in  the  common  name  of  Eugenians :  Leary  of 
whom  the  fable  of  Midas  is  told  with  variations ;  An-us  whom 
the  after  Princes  of  Alba  (Scotland)  claimed  as  their^ncestor  • 
Eocaid,  the  tenth  of  that  name.  In  whose  reign  are  laid  the  scenes 
of  the  chief  mythological  stories  of  Erin-such  as  the  story  of 
Queen  Mab-the  story  of  the  Sons  of  Usna;  the  death  of  Cu- 
chulhn  (a  counterpart  of  the  Persian  tale  of  Roostera  and  Sohrab)  • 
the  story  of  Fergus,  son  of  the  king ;  of  Connor  of  Ulster ;  of  the 
BouBof  Dan ;  and  many  more.    We  next  meet  with  the  first  kina 
wno  led  an  expedition  abroad  against  the  Romans  in  Crimthan" 
surnaraed  i^..a-iVaart,  or  Nair's  Hero,  from  the  good  genius  who 
accompanied  him  on  his  foray.    A  well-planned  insurrection  of 
the  conquered  Belga,  cut  off  one  of  Crimthan's  immediate  sue 
cessors,  w.th  al  his  chiefs  and  nobles,  at  a  banquet  given  on  the 
Belg.an-plam  (Moybolgue,  in  Cavan) ;  and  arrested  for  a  century 
therea  er  Insh  expeditions  abroad.    A  revolution  and  a  restoM^ 

Monk  oT  '  "  "f  ^;^^-"  ^h«  J-t  Judge  played  the  part  uf 
Monk  to  hts  Charles  II.,  Tuathal  surnamed  "  the  Legitimate  ' 
It  was  Tuathal  who  imposed  the  special  L  on  ^1^  ^f 

^te   ou  h    ?'  ""t" '  '"""  '^'*"^'  '^«  ^"=-"'-"  ^amilie. 

the  .outh  strong  m  numbers,  and  led  by  a  second  Owen  More 

time  bemg  the  esker,  or  ridge  of  land  which  can  be  oasilv  traoed 
from  Dublin  west  to  Galway.    Olild,  a  brave  and  abl  'p'n^^ 

o:::^l:iTj^^^^^^  half-kingdom.and  pJjhS 

own  kmdrei  deep  and  firm  in  its  soil,  though  the  unity  of  the 
monarchy  was  again  restored  under  Cormac  Ulla,  or  ij^ura 
Th,s  Cormac.  according  to  the  legend,  was  in  se  ret  a  Chlln 
and  wasdone  to  death  by  the  enraged  and  alannod  Dr^Ud    S 
his  abdication  and  retirement  from  the  world  (A.  D.  266  '    ul 


10 


i    ai;'  f  i 


POPULAR    niSTORT   OF   IRELAND. 


ti"n  into  Ga„,  uTm)  S  nl""  '  T""  "  '^"'^  "'^'■ 

(A.D,  428).  It  was  ,„  „„',  '^"j^"*  ■"  f'  P^'^S'  "t  the  Alps 
"lu^trlou,  captive  W.3  bro„l  °^  ^^U;"  "P'i'itions  tl,«t  «,. 
had  reserved  the  ^l„rv  „V  ,  '"'  *"■  "'«'">  Providenco 

an  event  wWcritT„„ »' „  T'"'™  *"  ""'  ^""'"^  <•»"■>- 
Nati„„,  whichmr  ahvavfr  tr  T^"  '"  '"e  history  of  t.,., 
Christian  reade"  "      "'"'"'*  "^  ■='"«'  ''"'»««»«  >»  the 


CHAPTER  in. 

Oaa«TIA«,TT  PBBACBBD  AT  TA»a_thb  BESrLT. 

-':xrri:^r2:;'°r*r'»-«>™.. 

complete  tvoMon  two  L'  ™'"'^°''  ''°'  *>'  *« 
tion     Th.  r  *"  "■  '"""y  PoWic  and  private  rela. 

^me  i^r,i    r.::^lVr  "^  ■"  ^■■'-"•^  ^  we'were V.^ 
•wry  P^ce,  the  gloomy  grovea  of  the  Dmida,  nuii„g  g„da  of  Um 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


11 


•an  and  moon,  the  natural  elements  and  man's  own  paKsIons,  restor- 
ing human  sacrifices  as  a  sacred  duty,  and  practically  excluding 
from  the  community  of  their  fellows,  all  who  presumed  to  qu.stiou 
the  divine  origin  of  such  a  religion.  The  preaching  of  Patrick 
effocted  a  revolution  to  the  full  as  complete  aa  such  a  counter- 
revolution  in  favor  of  Paganism  could  possibly  be,  and  to  tliia 
thorough  revolution  we  must  devote  at  ieuat  one  chapter 
before  going  farther. 

The  best  accounts  agree  that  Patrick  was  a  native  of  Gaul,  then 
subject  to  Rome ;   that  he  was  carried  captive  into  Erin  on  ono 
of  King  Nial's  returning  expeditions;  that  he  became  a  slave,  as 
all  captives  of  the  sword  did,  in  those  iron  times ;  that  he  fell'  to 
the  lot  of  ono  Milcho,  a  chief  of  Dalriada,  whose  flocks  he  tended 
for  seven  years,  as  a  shepherd,  on  the  mountain  called  Slomish, 
in  the  present  county  of  Antrim.    The  date  of  Nial's  death,  and 
the  consequent  return  of  his  last  expedition,  is  set  down  in  all  our 
annals  at  the  year  405 ;  as  Patrick  was  sixteen  years  of  ago 
when  he  reached  Ireland,  he  must  have  been  born  about  the 
year  390 ;  and  as  he  died  in  the  year  493,  he  would  thus  have 
reached    the    extraordinary,  but  not  impossible    age    of   103 
years.    Whatever  the  exact  number  of  his  years,  it  is  certain  that 
his  mission  in  Ireland  commenced  in  the  year  432,  and  was  pro- 
longed till  his  death,  sixty-one  years  afterwards.    Such  an  un- 
precedented length  of  life,  not  less  than  the  unprecedented  power, 
both  popular  and  political,  which  he  eariy  attained,  enabled  him 
to  establish  the  Irish  Church,  during  his  own  time,  on  a  basis  so 
broad  and  deep,  that  neither  lapse  of  ages,  nor  heathen  rage,  nor 
earthly  temptations,  nor  all  the  arts  of  Hell,  have  been  Tble  to 
upheave  its  firm  foundations.    But  we  must  not  imagine  that  the 
powers  of  darkness  abandoned  the  field  without  a  struggle,  or 
thiit  the  victory  of  the  cross  was  achieved  without  a  singular  com- 
bination of  courage,  prudence,  and  determination— God  aiding 
above  all.  * 

If  t!ie  year  of  his  captivity  was  405  or  6,  and  that  of  hia  escape 
or  manumission  seven  years  later  (412  or  413),  twenty  years 
would  intervene  between  his  departure  out  of  the  land  of  his 
bondage,  and  his  return  to  it  clothed  with  the  character  and 
authority  of  a  Chrif;tian  Bishop.    This  mterval,  longer  or  BhotUst, 


\ 


12 


W)PrtAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND, 


'I'M  ) 


!    '   < 


pr.e»tly  ,I„ll™  at  Tour,,  al  Lerin,,  and  n,mlly  at  Rorae  Bui 
.  -vay.  by  night  .„d  j.y  n,  „„  ,,.unlod  by  the  tlmlht  " 
the  Pa^„  nation  i„  „„i„„  b,b„,  „,„, „„ ,  J^^^ "d^ 
^ho^  lansuage  ho  had  acquired,  and  «,«  ohamctor  7f™  ta,! 
l«op .  ho  .„  thoroughly  undoratood.  Th«.  natu™  „Z 
poctlona  were  heightened  and  deepened  by  aupern.lu  J  ret^ 

their  apostle.  At  one  t.rae,  an  angol  presented  him,  In  his  .leeo 
.scroll  luring  the  superscription,  "IheTolceof  he  Ir  h  "  ( 
..o"'-  >«,  seemed  to  h«.r  In  a  dream  all  tb.  unbon,  children  " 
that  nat,o„  crying  to  him  for  help  and  holy  baptism.    When 

to  the  ends  of  the  earth,"  ho  found  him  no.  o.Iy  r«.dy  bS 
•nxions  to  undertake  it.  ' 

When  the  new  Preacher  arriyod  in  the  Irish  Sea,  In  482  he  and 
h.s  com,,anio„s  were  driven  off  the  coast  of  Wicklow  by'  a  m"  b 
vrho  assaded  them  with  shower,  of  stones.    Runnln!  7ow„Th^ 
coast  to  Antrim,  with  which  he  was  personally  famito  he  mad, 

Si:',*""'  l"  """"■  "■>-•>« --1=  reJ converj;.';™! 
mIZ  s?    T  ■\^"^'"^  "««'>™'-<l  "e  found  himself 

doua.t  appeared  an  nnpardonable  audacity  In  the  eyes  of  the 
proud  Pagan,  that  his  former  slave  should  attempt  to  'Ih  hto 
how  to  r-eforra  his  life  and  order  his  affhirs.    LumlM  a.." 
-outh^nJ  led  on,  as  we  must  believe,  by  the  splritTGod  h" 
determmed  to  strike  a  blow  against  Paganism  li  it,  mr^iW 
po,nt    Hav,ngleam«l  that  the  monarch,  Leary,  (iW,..„)wa. 
to  cetehrate  his  birthday  wilh  suitable  rejoicing' .  Ta4,  on^Z 
ctlllo  Sron  tf  r  ™  *°  ""  "'  ^"""'  -  -°"^  to  P- 
Mdst  of  all  (he  prmces  and  magnates  of  the  Island.    With  thi> 
riew  he  returned  on  his  former  course,  and  landed  from  hi  f™ 
barque  at  *e  mouth  of  the  Boyne.  Taking  leave  of  the  bo^  men 
«e  desired  them  to  wait  for  himacertain  number  of  days,  when  i 
they  did  not  hear  from  him,  they  might  conclude  him  tad 

I»w«l  by  the  few  diaciple.  he  had  m«i.,  or  brought  fro£  ,b™^ 


POPULAR    niSTORT    OF   IRRLAHD. 


13 


to  traverse  on  foot  the  great  plain  which  «tretcho3  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Boyne  to  Tara.  If  those  sailors  were  Christians,  as  is 
most  likely,  we  can  conceive  with  what  anxiety  they  must  hava 
awaited  tidings  of  an  attempt,  so  hazardous  and  so  eventful. 

Tho  Christian  proceeded  on  his  way,  and  the  first  night  of  hia 
journey  lociged  with  a  hospitable  chief,  whoso  family  he  converted 
and  baptized,  especially    marking    out  a  fine    child     named 
Beanon,  called   by   hin.  Benignus,  from  his  sweet  disposition  • 
who  was  destined  to  be  one  of  his  most  efficient  coadjutors,  and 
finally  his  successor  in  the  Prin.atial  see  of  Arma^rh.    It  was 
about  the  second  or  third  day  when,  travelling  problbly  by  the 
northern  road,  pooticallp  called  "  the  Slope  of  the  Chariots,"  the 
Christian  adventurers  came  in  sight  of  the  roofs  of  Tara.    Halt- 
ing  on  a  neighboring  eminence  they  surveyed  the  citadel  of  An- 
cient Error,  like  soldiers  about  to  assault  ai:  enemy's  stronghold 
The  aspect  of  the  royal  hill  must  have  been  highly  imposing' 
The  building  towards  the  north  was  the  Banquet  Hall  then 
thronged  with  the  celebrants  of  the  King's  birthday,  measuring 
from  north  to  south  360  feet  in  length  by  40  wide.    South  of  this 
hall  was  the  King's  Kath,  or  residence,  enclosing  an  area  of  280 
yards  in  diameter,  and  including  several  detached  buildin«rs,  such 
as  the  house  of  Cormac,  and  tlie  house  of  the  hostages,  "south- 
ward  still  stood  the  new  rath  of  the  reigning  king,  and  yet  farther 
south,  the  rath  of  Queen  Mab,  probably  uninhabited  even  then 
The  intervals  between  the  buildings  were  at  some  points  planted 
for  we  know  that  magnificent  trees  ^ihaded  the  well  of  Finn,  and 
the  well  of  Newnaw,  from  which  all  the  raths  were  supplied 'with 
water.    Imposing  at  any  time,  Tara  must  have  looked  its  best 
at  the  moment  Patrick  first  beheld  it,  being  in  the  pleasant  season 
of  spring,  and  decorated  iu  honor  of  the  anniversary  of  the  reign- 
ing sovereign. 

One  of  the  religious  ceremonies  employed  by  the  Druids  to 
heighten  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  was  to  order  all  the 
fires  of  Tara  and  Meath  to  be  quenched,  in  order  to  rekindle 
them  instantaneously  from  a  sacred  fire  dedicated  to  the  honor  of 
their  God.  But  Patrick,  either  designedly  or  innocently,  antic!- 
pated  this  striking  ceremony,  and  lit  his  own  fire,  where  he 
bad  encamped,  in  view  of  tho  royal  residenoo.    A  flight  of  &err 


u 


POPITLAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


tremWtag  dWpH  .sc»T  t  ^I.^Hf^^'/^-f^  ^J '"• 

ha  k,„d„ea,.    Then  it  «.as  demanded  of  him,  why  hT'had  da,^ 

wasmaeopenair.onthateminenceLhome^ftml;*^^^^ 

al.  the  Lla  ufat  henl^/rr   T'r;.^'™*"^  «'"  -"-  «' 
land,  could  disced  ^™„  ,1         •""'f  «">».  ">'«'"  M'abit  the 

the  kck.at:rd  r  Bo  S"  r:r ■•?  ™"'^\°' 

him  Of  cavan  .0  the  far  nofth ;  ^STthfl        ,     '"tXI; t 
.he  foreground,  the  wooded  height,  of  Sh„e  and  SW  and 

.e.fd«u„t:LH::er';,r  ""r'  "'""'-'■^'  --  - 

naa  on,  ,ided  1    Were  they  true  gods  or  false  ?    Tliey  had  their 
pnesls :  could  they  maintain  the  divinity  of  such  ™T,  h.  , 
mont,  or  by  mi,uc,e,    For  hi,  God,  „e',  1::^  fnlthyT; 

•ma.  and  had  died  for  man.    Hi.  name  .lone  wa,  .uffldent  ♦■! 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND.  15 

heal  all  diseases ;  to  raise  the  very  dead  to  life.    Such   we  learn 
from  the  old  biographers,  was  the  line  of  Patrick's  argument 
This  sermon  ushered  in  a  controversy.    The  king's  guests  who 
had  come  to  feast  and  rejoice,  remained  to  listen  and  to  meditate.  ^ 
With  the  impetuosity  of  the  national  character-with  all  its  pas- 
Sion  for  debate-they  rushed  into  this  new  conflict,  some  on  one 
side,  some  on  the  other.    The  daughters  of  the  king  and  many 
others-the  Arch-Druid  himself-became   convinced  and  were 
baptized.    The  missionaries  obtained  powerful  protectors,  and  the 
k.ng  assigned  to  Patrick  the  pleasant  fort  of  Trim,  as  a  present 
residence.    From  that  convenient  distance,  he  could  readily  return 
at  any  moment,  to  converse  with  the  king's  guests  and  the  mem- 
bers  of  his  household. 

The  Druidical  superstition  never  recovered  the  blow  itreceived 
that  day  at  Tara.    The  conversion  of  the  Arch-Druid  and  the 
Pnncesses,  was,  of  itself,  their  knell  of  doom.    Yet  they  held 
their  ground  during  the  remainder  of  this  reign-twenty-five 
years  longer  (AD.  468).    The  king  himself  never  became  a 
Christian,  though  he  tolerated  the  missionaries,  and  deferred  more 
and  more  every  year  to  the  Christian  party.    He  sanctioned  an 
expurgated  code  of  the  laws,  prepared  under  the  direction  of  Pat- 
rick, from  which  every  positive  element  of  Paganism  was  rigidly 
excluded.    He  saw,  unopposed,  the  chief  idol  of  his  race   over, 
thrown  on  "  the  Plain  of  Prostration,"  at  Sletty.    Yet  withal  he 
never  consented  to  be  baptized;  and  only  two  years  before  his 
decease  we  find  him  swearing  to  a  treaty,  in  the  old  Pagan  form 
-   by  the  Sun,  and  the  Wind,  and  all  the  Elements."    The  party 
of  the  Druids  at  first  sought  to  stay  the  progress  of  Christianity 
by  violence,  and  even  attempted,  more  than  once,  to  assassinati 
Patrick.    Finding  these  means  ineffectual  they  tried  ridicule  and 
satire.    In  this  they  were  for  some  time  seconded  by  the  Bards 
men  warmly  attached  to  their  goddess  of  song  and  their  lives  oi 
self-indulgence.    All  in  vain.    The  day  of  the  idols  was  fast 
vergmg  mto  everiasting  night  in  Erin.    Patrick  and  his  disciples 
were  advancing  from  conquest  to  conquest.    Armagh  and  Cashel 
come  m  the  wake  of  Tara,  and  Cruachan  was  soon  to  follow 
Driven  from  the  high  places,  the  obdurate  Priests  of  Bel  took 
refuge  in  the  depth*  of  the  forest  and  in  the  islands  of  the  ges 


16 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


Wherein  the  Christian  anchoritea  of  the  next  age  were  to  replace 
Ihem.    The  social  revolution  proceeded,  but  all  that  was  tolerable 
In  the  old  state  of  things,  Patrick  carefully  engrafted  with  the  new. 
He  allowed  much  for  the  habits  and  traditions  of  the  people,  and  so 
made  the  transition  as  easy,  from  darkness  into  the  light,  as  Nature 
makes  the  transition  from  night  to  moniing.    He  seven  times 
visitod  m  person  every  mission  in  the  kingdom,  performing  the  six 
first    circmts"  on  foot,  but  the  seventh,  on  account  of  his  extreme 
age,  he  was  borne  in  a  chariot.    The  pious  munificence  of  the  sue 
cessors  of  Leary,    had    surrounded  him  with  a  household  of 
prmcely  proportions.    Twenty-four  persons,  mostly  ecclesiastics, 
were  chosen  for  this  purpose :  A  bell-ringer,  a  psalmist,  a  cook,  a 
brewer  a  chamberiain,  three  smiths,  three  artificers  and  three 
embroiderers,  are  reckoned  of  the  number.    These  last  must  be 
considered  as  employed  in  furnishing  the  interior  of  the  new 
churches.    A  scribe,  a  shepherd  to  guard  his  flocks,  and  a  chari- 
oteer,  are  also  mentioned,  and  their  proper  names  given.    How  dif- 
ferent this  following  from  the  little  boat's  crew,  he  had  left  waitin.. 
tidmgs  from  Tara,  in  such  painful  apprehension,  at  the  mouth  o^ 
the  Boyne,  in  433.    Apostolic  zeal,  and  mirelaxed  discipline  haa 
wrought  these  wonders,  during  a  lifetime  prolonged  far  beyond 
the  ordinary  age  of  man. 

The  fifth  century  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  the  days  oJ 
Patrick  were  numbered.     Pharamond    and   the   Franks  had 
sway    on    the    Netheriands ;  Hengist  and  the  Saxons  on  South 
Britam;  Clovis  had  led  his  countrymen  across  the  Rhine  into 
Gaul;  the  Vandals  had  established  themselves  in  Spain  and 
North  Africa ;  the  Ostrogoths  were  supreme  in  Italy.      The  em- 
pire  of  barbarism  had  succeeded  to  the  empire  of  Polytheism  • 
dense  darkness  covered  the  semi-Christian  countries  of  the  old 
Roman  empire,  but  happily  daylight  still  lingered  in  the  West. 
Patrick,  in  good  season,  had  done  his  work.    And  as  sometimes, 
Qod  seems  to  bring    romid  His  ends,  contrary  to  the  natural 
order  of  things,  so  the  spiritual  sun  of  Europe  was  now  destined 
to  arise  in  the  West,  and  return  on   its  light-bearing  errand 
towards  the  East,  dispelling  in  its  path,  Saxon,  Prankish,  and 
German  darkness,  until  at  length  it  reflected  back  on  Rome  hen 
■elf.  the  light  derived  from  Rome. 


i    i 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IBELAND. 


17 


On  the  17th  of  March,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  493  Patiick 
breathed  his  last  in  the  monastery  of  Saul,  erected  on  the  site  o| 
that  barn  where  he  had  first  said  Mass.  He  was  buried  with  nationaJ 
honors,  m  the  Church  of  Armagh,  to  which  he  had  given  the  Pri- 
macy over  all  the  churches  of  Ireland ;  and  such  was  the  con- 
course  of  mourners,  and  the  number  of  Masses  offered  for  his  eter- 
nal  repose,  that  from  the  day  of  liis  death  till  the  close  of  the 
year,  the  sun  is  poetically  said  never  to  have  set-so  brilliant  and 
80  contmual  waa  the  glare  of  tapers  and  torches. 


■•••- 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THB   CONSTITUTION,   AND   HOW  THH  KiNOg   KEPT  IT. 

We  have  fortunately  still  existing  the  main  provisions  of  that 
constitution  which  was  prepared  under  the  auspices  of  Saint 
Patrick,  and  which,  though  not  immediately,  nor  simultaneously 
was  in  th9  end  accepted  by  all  Erin  as  its  supreme  law.    It  is 
contamed  in  a  volume  called  "the  Book  of  Rights,"  and  in  its 
printed  form  (the  Dublin  bilingual  edition  of  1817),  fills  some 
250  octavo  pages.    This  book  may  be  said  to  contain  the  original 
institutes  of  Enn  under  her  Celtic  Kings:  "the  Brehon  laws" 
(which  are  also  shortly  to  be  published,)  bear  the  same  relation 
to    the  Book  of  Rights,"  as  the  Statutes  at  largo  of  England,  or 
the  United  States,  bear  to  the  Enghsh  Constitution  in  the  one 
case,  or  to  the  collective  Federal  and  State  Constitutions  in  the 
other     Let  us  endeavor  to  comprehend  what  this  ancient  Irish 
Constitution  was  like,  and  how  the  Kings  received  it,  at  first 

There  were,  as  we  saw  in  the  first  chapter,  beside  the  existing 
four  ProT  .ces,  whose  names  are  familiar  to  every  one  a  fifth 
principality  of  Meath.  Each  of  the  Provinces  was  subdivided 
mto  chieftainries,  of  which  there  were  at  least  double  or  treble  as 
many  as  there  are  now  counties.  The  connection  between  the 
diief  and  his  Pnnce,  or  the  Prince  and  his  monarch,  was  not  ol 
the  nature  of  feudal  obedience ;  for  the  fee-simple  of  the  soil  waa 
never  supposed  to  be  vested  in  the  sovereign,  nor  was  the  King 


18 


"'""■'"''   '"«™"    OF  „«,^™. 


considered  to  be  <i,a  #      .  . 

Wended  th,  .Z^:,^C:  "'  '"  "''■■"•    ^'■«  W*  .y.t«, 

M.»oandida.e3  ,h„„,<,  £17X1^^^''''' '"^"^-^"'^ 
•"d  Monarch,.  «,  selected,  we"ot,^rf-  ''''«  Chief,,  Prf,,,,,, 
torn,  and  tribute,,  original  /^^It"'  ^«°"'"  "J"  '••'■■'"in  c™.' 

B«I'op,.    The  tributes  »cre  naidr^  ^ ^     '  '""""^'J'  <"  *<> 

■nail,  ch,s,.b<«rd,  and  chi,  """  ^'  -T' '°"'''  "">»"»'.  ""ats  o 
article,  „f  „,„,.    j,^  "-V^^f^^eup,  and  other  portable 
his  subordinate,  or  f rora  a  ,n h    ^       ^  """  ""«  '""»  a  Kin^to 
ana  grant,  wer^  oft^^^eilcTT  '"•'"''  ^•''^~"''  *»  X 
"ance.    Beside  the,e  ri«r^~c  T''^'^  ^'"'=''  ™  ''e"-/'"- 
rogative,"  of  the  five  Kint  oi  thT     °"™  """"'^  «■«  "  P«- 
te-itory,their accession  top"wt„T''^'''''°"Sh«ach other'. 
Assemblies  of  the  Kin.rd„r  ,?.    7    ° ''™*"'""' "■«  «™or.l 
merous  array  of  "pr„Mbr«n,"    T'"i.  """O"''  "  ™y  "u- 
B'Sli  nor  any  other  Potenur™,      "'""''  '""*«^  «>o  Ard- 
have  reference  to  old  lot?  ptT'^  '"'""^  "o-    «»»'  of  theso 
once  bore  a  leading  prtbn!^°"''™™°"»»  '"  ""-''  "■«  Kin^ 
o'hers  are  of  interS^-oicIa,  ,■ '  L       "°''«'''«"yP'-«Ubi.ed ; 
■■•.■es  of  personal  conduct.    AmTr"'' ,'""  °'"'"'-  ^8™-  «« 
arch  the  first  i,,  that  the  sun  mu,°Vet°  "    """"°"'  "'  ">»  ■»-»- 
Tara  ,■   .n,„„g   h,,  prero^uCl  J     "'"  '"  """ '"  ""  ^  a. 
ho  tot  of  A„g„, ,  on  fte  Ih    ™  "f  "*  '»  "«■")•■»'  on 
Me  Of  Mann,  cre,;e,  from  a'   '         ^T^'  <*"■■'  '^"■»  «>" 
Naas,  ana  to  drink  the  waTer  of  f.  """'  ""«■>  'rom 

«ord,,  he  wa,  entitled  tit   1  .^TJ'  "'  'f'""'-  '■>  othe" 
"hether  of  earth  or  nZ.Tr  tl  r      ^'  °'  '"^  P™""™ 
".of  the  very  heart  of  1  i,  '  ll>  T''"  '"'""■''■  »'  »el 
iBmster  was  "  prohibited"  frL„T  ,"""•      '''"'  King  of 
"■es  Within  his  province,  or  .nnrm'f"  "^  ^'''''  '--"«>- 
"  .certain  districts;    bu   bZ^T^.  . f  T"  '"""  »  "eek 
fr-ts  of  Almata,  to  drink  the  .l.Ti"*'^"  "•  «>«>'  <">  the 
»;erthe  gan,es  of  Car,nr  ( W  dT  „""™'  ""^  '»  "-i"' 
•tor  wa,  "prohibited"  from'  LI"     •*    ""  """'"Sie  of  Mun.         " 

"--n.o.i,a„d.omruS;rrxt;:-- 


>. 

e  Irish  Bysten 
9  more  largely 
Jlection,  but  aU 
'hiefs,  Princes, 
»y  certain  cus- 
of  the  Druids, 
thority  of  the 
isted  of  cattle, 
ntles,  coats  of 

Jther  portable 
om  a  King  to 
■for  the  gifts 

in  every  in- 
es  the  "  pre- 

each  other's 

the  General 
a  very  nu- 
^  the  Ard- 
St  of  theso 
^  the  Kings 
prohibited ; 

again,  are 

the  nion- 
I  his  bed  at 
anquet  on 

from  the 
son  from 

in  other 

produce, 

as  well 

King  of 

ceiemo- 

a  week 
'  on  the 

preside 
>f  Mun- 

Killar, 

on  the 


POPULAR    HISTORT    OP   IRELAND.  |9 

'fr^^^f^^!:^^,^  7  "P^^^"e^e^"  to  pass  the 
a  supply  of  cattle  from  Con.au.ht,  at  the  tC  "of  th  ' 

host  at  Athlone  to  confer  with  the  tribes  of  Meath     Th«  .„i      ^ 
Ulster  was  also  forbidden  to  indulge  in  such  11;,...  '  '' 

tlces  a.  obs.3rvin,  o.neas  of  birds,  of dlkin/ofT'  l'"  T" 
tain  "between  two  darknesses;"  his  pre^^^^^^^  ^'""' 

ing  at  the  games  of  Coolev  "  with    h^     °  u^      ''^'^  ^'^''^' 
the  right  oi  n^ustering    •   Ld"  .^'  '^«  «-^ '" 

free  quarters  in  Armagh  for  threeTl  f     f""'  "'  ''°"*''- 

wore  the  principal  checks  imposed  upon  the  iLT^'     ®"*^^ 
Monarchs  and  Princes  •  the  nl.t      ^        ^"^'^'^"^^  ^^price  of 

that  under  the  Const^riroftL^^^^^^^ 

remnant  of  ancient  Paganism  nii^ht  IwlT  k       i    =  °  '"^ 

rents  an.  dnes  which^lon^^Xt  rt^'^^.i^.rS  T 
words,  d Lswuised  as  if  m-,Tr  u^  4-  ,         '"gmty.    In  other 

All  national  usages  and  cnsloras,  notoonflictin^wihfh  ^ 

aw.wererecognizedandsanotionedbyrThett  ''""'''■'™ 
in  eaci>  partieular  Province  wee  modelled  npoVttTamirr: 
principle, withonememorableexcenlion  .1,  •"■"•"» *™« «<^'io>al 
loinsler  paid  to  Munster    .Id Tf,    i  ?  ''"'°""  '"''■"»  "•W'=l' 

.hed  tha'  all  otner   o„U  ofTolfer  ^^^  ■ 

Tigin  of  this  t,.,  is  aZr,  dtrm,°,r::i r  """'•  "■' 

arisen  out  of  the  reaction  which  tZ^J  ,  •''""'™  ""  ''"™ 

Lo.^timate,"  ^J^TllZT^^l^Z'^'^''  """"''  " '" 
the  saccessful  revolt  of  the  Bel  .it  bonZen  ""  "T"""'  •"**' 
have  clung  1  .ngest  to  the  Belgio°rev„rattT  L  ^T  "^^  "" 
only  after  repeated  defeats.    TuatM  llT  """"""''' 

Province  .1.  heav.  and  Oeg^rT'CtSlK  ^H^ 


do 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


i   i 


liil 


f«r.8eeing  as  it  was  cra^?  .h  .   "A"™™'  "f  policy,  n 

divided  one.thWton!  T™"*'  °'  *'  '«='  ™«  «»  !>• 

mainder  b 2 In  1  D      '  "'T""'''  "  """""S^t,  and  the  r^ 

In  enforcing"  Ms  Sil*";*"'  ''"""'=•«  '-->''  interested 

w.th  the  smallest  probability  of  sucj  Ir,   "  "^  "'T«' 

forcemem,  especially  by  .he  ki„rof  .     ZTw2  7    T 

the  same  family^  th    o'l  U    ^fff  "°"''^™  "^-''"• 
Vnth  centuries  were  of  th»r  -     1°  """«'  °'  ""^  "*  ""'» 

rot  t«  7491  .r         .  '  '""'•    *"  *e  Vlllth  century  ffmm 

high  title^o  Pehm  SLT/7  T  •"  T'  '""^  «'™  '"»  -"•» 

Hands,  duriu^tn;^!::;'^;:™"^^?,*:?"" 

howerer    w«  L^r.r    /""^  "."°*''-    ^''"'"-  ""^"'""'y- 
«cn.»tohr™,ufflced        1h    "  '^f''^'^'  '»   '->-'»irdJ 

favor,  and  one  Pr!vT„t  of  tle'srhr  '"'  "'  '''"*'"  "'^ 
*^  fot  ^'ovince  of  the  South,  he  was  cont  Torod  entitVd 

n-  '^'"vmciais.     The  monarchs,  1  ke  th«  noftw 

Kings,  were  crowned  or  « ma^«»        .u  ^  "^ 

^o^dprepa^dforX:!:.  :  -  — 1^^^^^^^^^^ 
to  tot  duty,  presented  him  with  a  white  wand  perfectly  strrlT 
-  »  emblem  of  the  purity  and  uprightness  wLh  tkl^^ 


rOPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


SI 


all  his  'lecisions,  and,  clothed  with  his  royal  robes,  the  new  rulCT 
descended  among  his  people,  and  solemnly  swore  to  protect  their 
rights  and  to  administer  equal  justice  to  all.  This  wao  the  civil 
ceremony ;  the  solemn  blessing  took  place  in  a  church,  and  is 
supposed  to  be  the  oldest  form  of  coronation  service  observed 
anywhere  in  Christendom. 

A  ceremonial,  not  without  dignity,  regulated  the  gradations  of 
honor,  in  the  General  Assemblies  of  Erin.  The  time  of  meeting 
was  the  great  Pagan  Feast  of  Samhain,  the  1st  of  November.  A 
feast  of  three  days  opened  and  closed  the  Assembly,  and  during 
its  sittings  crimes  of  violence  committed  on  those  in  attendance 
were  punished  with  instant  death.  The  monarch  himself  had  no 
power  to  pardon  any  violator  of  this  established  law.  The  Chief » 
of  territories  sat,  each  in  an  appointed  seat,  under  his  own  shield ; 
the  seats  being  arranged  by  order  of  the  Ollamh,  or  Beccrder, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  preserve  the  muster-roll,  containing  the  names 
of  all  the  living  nobles.  The  Champions,  or  leaders  of  military 
bands,  occupied  a  secuuutify  position,  each  sitting  under  his  own 
shield.  Females  and  spectators  of  an  infer  ior  rank  were  excluded ; 
the  Christian  clergy  naturally  stepped  into  the  empty  places  of 
the  Druids,  and  were  placed  immediately  next  the  monarch. 

We  shall  now  briefly  notice  the  principal  acts  of  the  first 
Christian  kings,  during  the  century  immediately  succeeding  St. 
Patrick's  death.  Of  Olliol,  who  succeeded  Leary,  we  cannot 
say  with  certainty  that  he  was  a  Christian.  His  successor,  Lewt, 
son  of  Leary,  we  are  expressly  told,  was  killed  by  lightning 
(A.  D.  496),  for  "  having  violated  the  law  of  Patrick"— that  is, 
probably,  for  having  practised  some  of  those  Pagan  rites  forbidden 
to  the  monarchs  by  the  revised  constitution.  His  successor,  Mcr- 
KERTAcu,  son  of  Erc,  was  a  professed  Christian,  though  a  bad 
one,  since  he  died  by  the  vengeance  of  a  concubine  named  Sheen, 
(that  is,  storm,)  whom  he  had  once  put  away  at  the  instance  o 
his  spiritual  adviser,  but  whom  he  had  not  the  courage  thougl 
brave  as  a  lion  in  battle— to  keep  away  (A.  D.  627).  Tpathal 
"  the  Rough"  succeeded  and  reigned  for  seven  years,  when  he 
was  assasfa.  lated  by  the  tutor  of  Derhid,  son  of  Kerbel,  a  rival 
whom  he  had  driven  into  exile.  Dermid  immediatly  sei;;ed  on 
the  throue  (A.  D.  634),  and  for  twenty  eventful  years  bore  swegf 


93 


POPULAR  HisTonr  or  irelasd. 


clergy,  and  obserred,  with  M  .!.«  .„„  ?  ^  Christian 
monial,  the  national  game,  at  m1  "  T  r""™"'"""  «"* 
fomrkable  event  wf,  the  Lwl  '"'  ""«"  "■"  ""^ 

by  a  Saint  -^o^ZJl^t  ::^J"':'"'"'"f  ^''  '"''^ 
lated,  in  dra»»in.r  »  ™i  ,       reekloM  monarch  had  vie 

.».  ..ttinttirt-:  ;rr;:r'r  :i::z^r "  .»"• ""--; 

..e^e,or.g,^,3io„,„„thei.™'::it"^^^^^^^ 

tne  Saint,  whose  name  was  Riia^o„  „    i  xu     .  ciergj— . 

tuary  i.  atlll  known  "I  T™1  R2a„  •  ;'''°  "'  "'""""'""'■ 
•o  Tar.,  accompanied  5^1  c"r 'v  »d  'T'"'  ""^""'^ 
royal  rath  solemnK-„„  •  ^''        '  ""'king  round  tho 

e.e.i,e  of  Sm„a,"'  rr^ZTrTr  '"r""" 
ttroagh  Irish  history."  No  kin<-  aZ  n  i  T"""  ^''"" 
nently  upon  the  hill  ot  Tarn  Oft^.  f,  '''"''"'  •^™»- 
Me^th    n.  T.i.  ,  ^°'  ™''»'  ''"I"™  'here  wore  in 

bt:ir  JuTe";:  if : '"'  :i  ""'■  ^-^  -" "«'  ■"---  -^  "^" 

The  date  of  the  malediction  which  left  T«r»  ^         . 

of  our  Lord  654     Th«  «n^  T  u •  ^  desolate  is  the  yea^ 

mid)  was  in  unison  .itT'hi    Te  ^ '■^'"^^ --'P^-  (Der- 

Black  Hugh,  Prince  of  msft        '        ''""  ''"'"  '"  ^^*"^  ^^ 
Tara  '^'''  '"'^  ^^^"^  ^^^'  th«  desolation  of 

Second,  Which  .a-s^^rn^^-ir  ZTr  ^06"!  f^f  '"^ 

^.^But  .es^:o::;i!nr,rr;rr.^ 


POPULAR    UISTORr    OF    IRELAND. 


28 


CHAPTER  V. 
MiGX  OF  nvan  ir.— thb  irish  coloky  in  bcotland  obtaihb  nn 

INDEPENDENCE. 

Twenty-seven  years  is  a  long  reign,  and  the  years  of  King 
Hugh  II.  were  marked  with  striking  events.  One  religions  and 
one  political  occurrence,  however,  threw  all  others  into  the  shade, 
—the  conversion  of  the  Highlands  and  Islands  of  Scotland  (then 
called  Alba  or  Albyn  by  the  Gael,  and  Caledonia  by  the  Latins), 
and  the  formal  recognition,  after  an  exciting  controversy,  of  tlia 
independence  of  the  Milesian  colony  in  Scotland.  These  events 
follow  each  other  in  the  order  of  time,  and  stand  partly  in  the 
relation  of  cause  and  effect : 

The  first  authentic  Irish  immigration  into  Scotland  seems  to 
have  taken  place  about  the  year  of  our  Lord  258.    Tiie  pioneers 
crossed  over  from  Antrim  to  Argyle,  where  the  strait  is  less  than 
twenty-five  miles  wide.     Other  adventurers  followed  at  intervals, 
but  it  is  a  fact  to  be  deplored,  that  no  passages  in  our  own,  and 
in  all  other  histories,  have  been  so  carelessly  kept  as  the  records 
of  emigration.    The  movements  of  rude  masses  of  men,  the  first 
founders  of  states  and  cities,  are  generally  lost  in  obscurity,  or 
misrepresented  by  patriotic  zeal.     Several  successive  settlements 
of  the  Irish  in  Caledonia  can  be  faintly  traced  from  the  middle 
of  ihe  III.  till  the  beginning  of  the  VI.  centuiy.    About  the  year 
503,  they  had  succeeded  in  establishing  a  flourishing  principality 
among  the  clifft  and  glens  of  Argyle.    The  limits  of  their  fiist 
territory  cannot  be  exactly  laid  down;  but  it  soon  spread  north 
into  Rosshire,  and  ea.st  into  the  present  county  of  Perth.     It  was 
a  land  of  stormy  friths  and  fissured  headlands,  of  deep  defiles 
and  snowy  summits.    '"Tis  a  far  cry  to  Lough  Awe,"  is  still  a 
lowland  proverb,  and  Lough  Jl wo  was  in  the  very  heart  of  that 
oldlrish  settleoieut. 


24 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


The  earliest  emigrants  to  Argyle  were  Pagans,  while  tlie  latter 
were  Christiana,  and  were  accompanied  by  priests,  and  a  bishop, 
Kioran,  the  son  of  the  carpenter,    who,   from  his  youthful  piety 
and  holy  life,  as  well  as  from  the  occupation  followed  by  li  s 
fathsr,  is  sometimes  fancifully  compared  to  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
himself.    Parishes  in  Cantyre,  in  Islay  and  in  Carrick,  still  bear 
the  name  of  St.  Kieran  as  patron.    But  no  systematic  attempt- 
none  at  least  of  historic  memory-was  made  to  convert  the  re- 
moter Gael  and  the  other  races  then  inhabiting  Alba— the  Picta 
Britons,  and  Scandinavians,  until  in  the  year  of  our  era,  SGs' 
Columba  or  CoLOMBKiLL.a  Bishopof  the  royal  race  of  Nial,  under' 
took  that  task,  on  a  scale  commensurate  with  its  macrnitude. 
This  celebrated  man  has  always  ranked  with  Saint  PatrFck  and 
Samt  Bridget  as  the  most  glorious  triad  of  the  Irish  Calendar. 
He  was,  at  the  time  he  left  Ireland,  in  the  prime  of  life— his  44th 
year.    Twelve  companions,  the  apostolic  number,  accompanied 
hira  on  his  voyage.    For  thirty-four  years  he  wa5  the  legislator 
and  captain  of  Christianity  in  those  northern  regions.    The  King 
of  the  Picts  received  baptism  at  his  han.ls;  the  Kings  of  the 
Scottish  colony,  his  kinsmeri,  received  the  crown  fronT  him  on 
their  accession.    The  islet  of  T.,  or  lona,  was  presented  to  him  by 
one  of  those  princes.    Have  he  and  his  companions  built  with 
theirown  hands  their  parent-house,  and  from  this  Hebridean  rock 
in  after  times  was  shajved  the  destinies,  spiritual  and  temporal,  of 
many  trihes  avJ  kingdoms. 

T^  d  growth  of  lona  was  as  the  growth  of  the  grain  of  mustard 
seed  mentiop.ad  in  the  Gospel,  even  during  the  life  of  its  founder. 
Formed  by  his  tcacliing  nnd  example,  there  went  out  from  it 
apostles  to  Iceland,  to  the  Orkneys,  to  Northumbria,  to  Man,  and 
to  South  Britain.    A  hundred  monasteries  in  Ireland  looked  to 
that  exiled  saint  as  their  patriarch.    His  rule  of  monastic  life 
adopted   either  from  the  far  East,  from  the  recluses  of  the 
Thebaid,  or  frt-n  his  great  contemporary.  Saint  Benedict,  was 
sought  for  by    jinefs,  Bards,  and  converted  Druids.     Clients, 
seeking  direction  from  his  wisdom,  or  protection  through  hii 
power,  were  constantly  arriving  and  departing  from  his  8acre°d  isle. 
His  days  were  divided  between  manual  labor  and  the  study  and 
cranscribing  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures.    He  and  his  discipjea,  sa/i 


POPULAR    HISTORF    OF    IRELAND. 


25 


tfie  Venerable  Bede,  in  whose  age  lona  still  flourished,  "neither 
thought  of  nor  Joml  anythir.g  in  this  world."  Some  writers  huv« 
ropre,«nted    Columbkill's   CuUees,   (which  i„    English   mean, 

from  the  tru  h  that  we  now  know,  no  woman  was  allowed  to 
land  on  che  Island,  nor  even  a  cow  to  be  kent  there,  for,  said  tha 
hoj,  B.hop.  "wherever  there  is  p  cow  there  will  be  i  womT 
and  wherever  there  is  a  woman  there  will  be  mischief." 

In  the  reign  of  King  Hugh,  three  domestic  questions  arose  of 
great  importance;  one  was  the  refusal  of  the  Prince  of  Ossory  tu 

t.on  of  the  Bardic  Order,  and  the  third,  the  attempt  to  tax  the 
A.gyle  Colony.    The  question  between  Ossory  and  Tara.  we  nay 

rnt'n:  "  ''  ''"''"' '"'""''  '"'  ""  °^'^^  ^^^«  ^'^^^  f»"- 

The  Bards-who  were  the  Editors,  Professors,  Registrars  and 

t^oJ!^       rr'"''"'^^'"  "'^^  ™^«^«^«  of  public  opinion  in 
«ioso  days,  had  reached  in  tiJs  reign  a  number  exceeding  1,200 
m  Meath  and  Ulster  alone.    They  claimed  all  the  old  pr^il  a^ 
of  fVee  quarter,  on  their  travels  and  freeholdings  .t  hoi  wh^h 
were  freely  granted  to  their  order  when  it  ^as  in  it^Lfln  y 
T^iosecieftams  who  refused  them  anything,  however  extra"!: 
8unt  they  lampooned  and  libelled,  exciting  their  own  people  and 
o^her  prmces  agamst  them.    Such  was  their  audacity,  tha^  Jme 
Of  them  are  said  to  have  demanded  from  King  Hu/h  the  Zl 
broc^h,  one  of  the  most  highly  prized  heir-looms  of  The  rligX 
famdy.    Twice  in  the  early  part  of  this  reign  they  h.d  berdri" 
V  n  from  the  royal  residence,  and  obliged  to  take  refuse"  n  L 
liUleprmcipahtyofUlidia(orDown);  the  third  time  the  m  n- 

lumbkiU,  however,  they  were  destined  to  find  a  most  ooweK,^ 
mediator,  both  from  his  general  sympathy  Wth  tie  OrlTbe';: 
himself  no  mean  poet,  and  from  the  fact  that  the  then  1th  Polf  ' 
or  Chief  of  the  order,  Dalian  Forgaill,  was  one  :^t^ 
To  seuie  this  v.xed  question  of  the  Bards,  a.s  well  as  to  ob^n  ' 
th   sanction  of  tlie  estates  to  the  taxation  of  Ar.yle,  Kin'Hitb 
called  a  General  Assembly  in   the  year  590.     tLo  pface  oj 
-eetuig  was  no  longer  the  interdicted  Tara.  but  fo    the  l^^ 


POPULAR    niSTORV    OF    rRELAND, 


•rcha  conronlonce  a  site  farther  north  was  ch.Mor)~the  hilf  of 
Prom-Koth,  in  the  present  county  of  D.>rry.  I|„re  vmm  in  rival 
state  anti  spi„n,|,>r  tl,o  Prinms  of  th«  f.,ur  Province,  u,ul  otiior 
I.nnciiKiI  chieftains.  The  dii,nutari.«,  of  the  Church  a?H«  at ten.lcl. 
and  nn  occasional  Druid  waa  i.tM-haps  to  l,o  Hcen  in  the  train  of  «onie 
unconverted  Prince.  The  pretensions  erf  the  mother-conntry  to 
rnp(«e  a  tax  upon  her  Colony,  Avore  sustained  by  the  profound 
learninj?  and  venerable  name  of  St.  Cohnan,  Bishop  of  Dron.oro. 
one  of  the  flrst  men  of  his  Order. 

When  Columbkill   "  heard  of   the  calling  together  of  that 
General  Assembly,"  and  of  the  questions  to  be  there  decided  he 
resolved  to  attend,  notwithstanding  the  etern  vow  of  his  earlier 
life  never  to  look  on  Irish  soil  again.     Under  a  scruple  of  this 
kmd,  he  18  said  to  have  remained  blindfold,  from  his  arrival  in 
his  fatherland,  till  his  return  to  lona.     He  was  accompanied  by 
an  imposing  train  of  attendants;  by  Aidan,  Prince  of  Ar^ryle  so 
deeply  interested  in  the  issue,  and  a  suite  of  over  one  h"undrod 
persons,  twenty  of  them  Abbots  or  Bisliops.     Columbkill  spoke 
for  his  companions ;  for  already,  as  in  Bede's  time,  the  Abbots  of 
lona  exercised  over  all  the  clergy  north  of  the  Ilumbor,  but  still 
more  directly  north  of   the  Tweed,   a  species  of  supremacy 
similar  to  that  which  the  successors  of  St.  Benedict  and  St.  Bor- 
nard  exercised,  in  turn,  over  Prelates  and  Princes  on  the  Euro- 
pean Continent. 

When  the  Assembly  was  opened  the  holy  Bishop  of  Dromore 
stated  the  arguments  in  favor  of  Colonial  taxation  with  lear-inc» 
and  effect.     Hugh  himself  impeached  the  Bards  for  their  lioori! 
ciousand  lawless  lives.    Columbkill  defended  both  interests,  and 
by  combining  both,  probably  strengthened  the  friends  of  each' 
It  is  certain  that  he  carried  the  Assembly  with  him,  both  acrainst 
the  monarch  and  those  of  the  resident  clergy,  who  had  selected 
Colraan  as   their  spokesman.     The  Bardic  Order  was  spared. 
The  doctors,  or  master-singers  among  them,  were  prohibited 
from  wandering  from  place  to  place;  they  were  assigned  resi- 
dence with  the  chiefs  and  princes ;  their  losel  attendants  wore 
turned  over  to  honest  pursuits,  and  thus  a  great  dan-er  was 
averted,  and  one  of  the  most  essential  of  the  Celtic  institutions 
bemg  reformed  and  re^ruiatod,  was  preserved.     Scotland  and 


MFULAR    ntSTORV   OF    fBFI.AXO. 


for  ,1,0  „,l,„.„o.i„„„    u,.t    prosorve,!  to  „,  «,„  ,„„  i"    w  ,i     T. 

fully  zrrurf';;''  "■'""""'"  "™""""^  -^  •"-«"»• 

"7  [    7     .       '     °  "'"  """>'  "'"  colonist,  |,a,l  l„.on  1 ,>,l 

k1  f,"r"1'  "  -""■'■""' f-ee.  -'y  land  „„1  L' 

™  oxisttaa  tr.ui,,cr,|,t  ,vi,  raado),  the  Scottish  Prfnco,  naid  „„, 
60  .d»o„,  and  ,e,en  hound,  all  of  the  ,amo  bred     I  „    Z 

.«.,  ii.o  ,„™o  ™,ir„  ^„":i,  I, J  :„  Tt^^:  aCr 71' 

1^  succes,     C,^™,wil,  thougl,  a  nati™  of  Iral.raL  a!  in  a 

.irrirCedCir-^^^^^^^^ 

continue  the  co.n.eclion  on  the  „1  l^n^v  ^'"f  ""''"'°''  "• 

tint  a  federal  eonnectl-on  e.ti,   d  b™  Wch    !",      '^'Pendence ; 

Scots  of  Argyle  and  tho,»  J  ii ,       •  '  "  "™°  "'  ""f.  «« 

ai^.  assist  »1   .   end  rch  olr'"';'  Tt . '"'"™"^  """"d  to 
connection,  founded  in  the  blood  of  bth      ,"  """"■"'  '""  ""'^ 
their  early  samts,  conflrlTb'   f -eol,     7"''  '""='""""  "^ 
common  language  and  liteutl,'::';;  ZZ?'"'  '"  ° 
enemies,  the  Saxons  nnn««  n    i  xt  ^  "o&tility  to  COTimnn 

bnnd  of  unusna"  t™!      'a.!,  ?"''  "'■''"'  '""'  "  P""''™' 

toth  „ati,.,.,  lo„l    r/;t;     ™'  """■'^"^'l  >'""  affection  by 

Ke..  had  a.ap,:ar;;LT:\:iTrf::re:r  -' ''-°- 


28 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


f        ! 


I 


The  only  unsettled  question  which  remained  after  the  Assembly 
at  Drom-Keth  related  to  the  Prince  of  Ossory.    Five  years  after- 
wards (A.  D.  595)  King  Hugh  fell  in  an  attempt  to  collect  the 
special  tribute  from  all  Leinster,  of  which  we  have  already  heard 
something,  and  shall,  by  and  by,  hear  more.  He  was  an  able  and 
energetic  ruler,  and  we  may  be  sure  "  did  not  let  the  sun  rise  on 
him  in  his  bed  at  Tara,"  or  anywhere  else.    In  his  time  great 
internal  changes  were  taking  place  in  the  state  of  society.    The 
ecclesiastical  order  had  become  more  powerful  than  any  other, 
in  the  state.    The  Bardic  Order,  thrice  proscribed,  were  finally 
subjected  to  the  laws,  over  which  tlioy  had  at  one  time  insc'.ently 
domineered.    Ireland's  only  colony— unless  wo  except  the  imma- 
ture settlement  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  under  Cormac  Longbeard— 
was  declared  independent  of  the  parent  country,  through  the  moral 
influence  of  its  illustrious  Apostle,  whose  name  many  of  its  kings 
and  nobles  were  of  old  proud  to  hear— Mai- Colm,  meaning  "  ser- 
vant of  Columb,"  or  Columbkill.    But  the  memory  of  the  sainted 
statesman  who  decreed  the  separation  of  the  two  populations,  so 
far  as  claims  to  taxation  could  be  preferred,  preserved,  for  ages, 
the  better  and  far  more  profitable  alliance,  of  an  ancient  friend- 
ship, unbroken  by  a  single  national  quarrel  during  a  thousand 
years, 

A  few  words  more  on  the  death  and  character  of  this  celebrated 
man,  whom  we  are  now  to  part  with  at  the  close  of  the  sixth, 
as  we  parted  from  Patrick  at  the  close  of  the  fifth  century.  His 
day  of  departure  came  in  596.  Death  found  him  at  the  ripe  age 
of  almost  four  score,  stylus  in  hand,  toiling  cheerfully  over  the 
vellum  page.  It  was  the  last  night  of  the  week  when  the  presenti- 
ment of  his  end  came  strongly  upon  him.  "  This  day,"  he  said, 
to  his  disciple  and  successor,  Dermid,  "  is  called  the  day  of  rest, 
and  such  it  will  be  for  me,  for  it  will  finish  my  labors."  Laying 
down  the  manuscript,  he  added,  "  let  Baithen  finish  the  rest." 
Just  after  Matins,  on  the  Sunday  morning,  he  peacefully  passed 
away  from  the  midst  of  his  brethren. 

Of  his  tenderness,  as  well  as  energy  of  character,  tradition  and 
his  biographers  Have  recorded  many  instances.  Among  others, 
his  habit  of  ascending  an  eminence  every  evening  at  sunset,  to 
look  over  towards  the  coast  of  his  native  land.    The  spot  is  called 


POPULAR    BISTORT    OP   IRBLAI.a, 


29 


by  the  islanders  to  this  day,  "  the  place  of  the  back  turned  upon 
Ireland."  Tlie  fishermen  of  the  Hebrides  long  believed  they 
could  see  their  saint  flitting  over  the  waves  after  every  new 
Btorm,  counting  the  islands  to  see  if  any  of  them  had  foundered, 
It  must  have  been  a  loveable  character  of  which  such  tales  could 
be  told  and  cherished  from  generation  to  generation. 

Both  Education  and  Nature  had  well  fitted  Columbkill  to  the 
great  task  of  adding  another  realm  to  the  empire  of  Christendom, 
His  princely  birth  gave  him  power  over  his  own  proud  kindred ;  his 
golden  eloquence  and  glowing  verse — the  fragments  of  which 
still  move  and  delight  the  Gaelic  scholar— gave  him  fame  and 
weight  in  the  Christian  schools  which  had  suddenly  sprung  up  in 
every  glen  and  island.  As  prince,  he  stood  on  equal  terms  with 
princes ;  as  poet,  he  was  affiliated  to  that  all-powerful  Bardio 
Order,  before  whose  awful  angor  kings  trembled,  and  warriors 
succumbed  in  superstitious  dread.  A  spotless  soul,  a  disciplined 
body,  an  indomitable  energy,  an  industry  that  never  wearied,  a 
courage  that  never  blanched,  a  sweetness  and  courtesy  that  won 
all  hearts,  a  tenderness  for  others  that  contrasted  strongly  with 
his  rigor  towards  himself— these  were  the  secrets  of  the  success  of 
this  eminent  missionary— these  were  the  miracles  by  which  he 
accomplished  the  conversion  of  so  many  barbarous  tribes  and 
Pagan  Princes. 


-•♦♦- 


CHAPTER  VI. 


KIKOS  OP  HBT   SEVENTH  CENTURT. 

The  five  years  of  the  sixth  century,  which  remained  after  the 
death  of  HuoH  II.,  were  filled  by  Hcoh  III.,  son  of  Dermid,  the 
semi-Pagan.  Huoh  IV.  succeeded  (A.  D.  599)  and  reigned  for 
several  years;  two  other  kings,  of  small  account,  reigned  seven 
years;  Donald  II.  (A.  D.  624)  reigned  sixteen  years;  Connall 
and  Kellach,  brothers,  (A.  D.  610)  reigned  jointly  sixteen  years : 
they  were  succeeded  (A.  D.  656)  by  Dermid  and  Blathmao, 
brothers,  who  reigned  jointly  seven  vears:   SfiANAaAaa   ""«  of 


80 


POPULAR    HISTORT   OP   IRELAND. 


I! 


II 


the  former  reigned  six  years;  Kexpala,  four;  Finnacta,  "tha 
hosr..table    twenty  years,  and  Loinosech  (A.  D.  693)  eight  years. 

Bla!u?"'r  "  "''"'^""  P^"^^  ^^  "-  Churih  was  con- 
8ton  ly  on  the  increase  and  is  visible  in  many  important  changes. 
The  last  armed  struggle  of  Druidism,  and  the  only  invasion  of 
Ireland  by  the  Anglo-Saxons,  are  also  events  of  the  civil  hisLy 
of  the  seventh  century. 

mo^nfTh* "  "'-T^^  ^^'  ''  ^'^^^^^^'*  *^«  P^^'"g  aw  of 
most  of  those  samtly  men,  the  second  generation  of  Irish  abboUi 

and  bishops;  for  the  foundation  of  the  celebrated  school  of  Lis- 

more  on  the  Munster  Blackwater;  and  the  battle  of  Moira,  in  the 

present  county  of  Down.    Of  the  school  and  the  saints  w;  shall 

speak  hereafter;  the  battle  deserves  more  immediate  mention. 

of  trM-r'^    .'"'  """'^"r'  '''  P^'^^'^^'^"  ''  "^«  P«"y  Prince 
of  midia,  which  comprised  little  more  than  the  present  county 

H.  vT;      ,       '^'^Snhed  as  Prince  of  all  Ulster.    Now  the 
Hv-N,al  famdy,  not  only  had  long  given  monarchs  to  all  Ireland 
but  had  a  so  the  lion's  share  of  their  own  Province,  and  K^g 
Danald  as  their  head  could  not  permit  their  ascendancy  to  bedis 

the  squint-eyed,"  had  twice  received  and  cherished  the  licen- 
K>us  Bards  when  under  the  ban  of  Tara.  and  his  popularity  with 
that  still  powerful  order  was  one  prop  of  his  ambition.    Itis  pretty 
Clear  also  that  the  last  rally  of  Druidism  against  Christianity  took 
place  behind  his  banner,  on  the  plain  of  Moira.    It  was  the  year 
6.  /  and  preparations  had  long  gone  on  on  both  sides  for  a  final 
trial  of  strength.    Congal  had  recruited  numerous  bands  of  Saxons 
Britons,  Picts  and  Argyle  Scots,  who  poured  into  the  harboiso; 
Down  for  months,  and  were  marshalled  on  the  banks  of  the  La- 
gan  to  sustain  his  cause.     The  Poets  of  succeeding  ages  have 
dwelt  much  m  detail  on  the  occurrences  of  this  memorable  dly 
r   was  what  might  strictly  be  called  a  pitched  battle,  time  and 
place  being  fixed  by  mutual  agreement.    King  Dona  d  was  ac- 
companied by  his  Bard,  who  described  to  him.ls  they  cZ  i„ 
Bight  the  several  standards  of  Congal's  host,  and  who  served  un- 
der  taem^   Conspicuous  above  all,  the  ancient  banner  of  th^^Red 
Branch   Kmghts-"  a  yellow  lion  wrought  on  green  satiV'-^ 
floated  over  Congal's  host.     On  the  other  side  the  moi».M> 


.  u 


^  i 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP  IRELAND. 


81 


eomniandei  in  person,  accompanied  by  his  kinsmen,  the  sons  o| 
Hugli  III.  The  red  hand  of  Tirowen,  the  cross  of  Tirconnell,  the 
jagle  and  lion  of  Innishowen,  the  axes  of  Fan&d,  were  in  his 
ranks,  raaged  closely  round  his  own  standard.  The  cause  of  the 
ConsLitution  and  the  Church  prevailed,  and  Druidism  mourned 
its  last  hope  extinguished  on  the  plains  of  Moira,  in  the  death 
of  Congal,  and  the  defeat  of  his  vast  army.  King  Donald  re- 
turned in  triumph  to  celebrate  his  victory  at  Emania  and  to 
receive  the  benediction  of  the  Church  at  Armagh. 

The  sons  of  Hugh  III.,  Derraid  and  Blathmac,  zealous  and 
pious  Christian  princes,  survived  the  field  of  Moira  and  other  days 
of  danger,  and  finally  attained  the  supreme  power — A.  D.  656. 
Like  the  two  kings  of  Sparta  they  reigned  jointly,  dividing  be- 
tween them  the  labors  and  cares  of    State.     In    their    reign, 
that  terrible  scourge,  called  in  Irish  "  the  yellow  plague,"  after 
ravaging   great  part  of  Britain,  broke  out  with  undiminished 
virulence  in  Erin  (A.  D.  664).     To  heighten  the  awful  sense  of 
inevitable  doom,  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  occurred  concurrently 
with  the  appearance  of  the  pestilence  on  the  first  Sunday  in 
May.      It  was    the   season   when   the   ancient    sun-god    had 
been  accustomed  to  receive  his  annual  citations,  and  we  can 
well  believe  that  those  whose  hearts  still  trembled  at  the  nam« 
of  Bel,  must  have  connected  the  eclipse  and  the  plague  with 
the  revolution  in  the  national  worship,  and  the  overthrow  of  the 
ancient  gods  on  that  "  plain  of  prostration,"  where  they  had  so 
long  received  the  homage  of  an  entire  people.    Among  the  vic- 
tims of  this  fearful  visitation— which,  like  the  modern  cholera, 
swept  through  all  ranks  and  classes  of  society,  and  returned  in 
the  same  track  for  several  successive  seasons — were  very  many  of 
those  venerated  men,  the  third  and  fourth  generation  of  the  Ab- 
bots and  Bishops.     The  Munster  King,  and  many  of  the  chief- 
tain class  shared  the  common  lot.    Lastly,  the  royal  brothers  fell 
themselves  victims  to  the  epidemic,  which  so  sadly  signalizes  their 
reign. 

The  only  conflicts  that  occurred  on  Irish  soil  with  a  Pictish  or 
an  An^lo-Saxon  force— if  we  except  those  who  formed  a  contingent 
of  Congal's  army  at  Moira— occurred  in  the  time  of  the  hospi- 
lable  Finaacta.    The  Pictish  force,  with  t.h«ij.  lonrinro  n^rp  ^/^♦o1l- 


\ 


33 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


defeated  tA  Rathmore,  in  Antrim  (A.  D.  680),  but  the  An«l». 
Saxon  expedition  (A.  D.  684)  seems  not  to  have  been  either 
expected  or  guarded  against.  As  leading  to  the  mention  of 
other  mterosting  events,  we  must  set  this  inroad  cleariy  before  the 
reader. 

The  Saxons  had  now  been  for  four  centuries  in  Britain,  the 
older  inhabitants  of  which -Celts  like  the  Gauls  and  Irish-they 
had  cruelly  harassed,  just  as  the  Milesian-Irish  oppressed  their 
Belgic  predecessors,  and  as  the  Normans,  in  turn,  will  be  fouud 
oppressing  both  Celt  and  Saxon  in  England  and  Ireland.    Britain 
had  been  divided  by  the  Saxon  leaders  into  eight  aepuvate  king- 
doms, the  people  and  princes  of  several  of  which  were  converted 
to  Christranity  in  the  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh  century,  though 
.  some  of    aem  did  not  receive  the  Gospel  before  the  beginning  of 
the  eighth.    The  Saxons  of  Kent  and  the  Southern  Kingdoms 
generally  were  converted  by  missionaries  from  France  or  Rome 
or  native  preachers  of  the  first  or  second  Christian  generation ;' 
those  of  Northumbria  recognize  as  their  Apostles  St.  Aidan  and 
St.  Cuthbert,  two  Fathers  from  lona.     This  Kingdom  of  Norrh- 
nmbria,  as  the  name  implies,  embraced  neariy  all  the  country 
from  the  Humber  to  the  Pictish  border.    York  was  its  capital, 
and  the  seat  of  its  ecclesiastical  primacy,  where,  at  the  time  we 
speak  of,  the  illustrious  Wilfrid  was  maintaining,  with  ^  wilful 
and  unscrupulous  king,  a  struggle  not  unlike  that  which  Becket 
maintamed  with  Henry  II.    This  Prince,  Egfrid  by  name,  was  con- 
stantly  engaged  in  wars  with  his  Saxon  cotemporaries,  or  the 
Picts  and  Scots.    In  the  smnmer  of  683  he  sent  an  expedition 
under  the  command  of  Beort,  one  of  his  earis,  to  ravage  the 
coast  of  Leinster.    Beort  landed  probably  in  the  Boyne,  and  swept 
over  the  rich  plain  of  Meath  with  fire  and  sword,  burning 
churches,  driving  off  herds  and  flocks,  and  slaughtering  the 
clergy  and  the  husbandmen.    The  piety  of  an  after  age  saw  in 
the  retribution  which  overtook  Egfrid  the  following  year  when 
he  was  slain  by  the  Picts  and  Scots,  the  judgment  of  Heaven, 
avenging  the  unprovoked  wrongs  of  the  Irish.     His   Scottish 
conquerors,  returning  good  for  evil,  carried  his  body  tu  lona 
where  it  was  interred  with  all  due  honor.  ' 

loua  was  now  in  the  zenith  of  On  glory.    The  barren  x^ck. 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


38 


about  three  miles  in  length,  was  covered  with  monastic  buHdings, 
and  its  cemetery  was  already  adorned  with  the  tombs  of  saints 
and  kings.  Five  successors  of  Columbkill  slept  in  peace  around 
their  holy  Founder,  and  a  sixth,  equal  in  learning  and  sanctity  to 
any  who  preceded  him,  received  the  remains  of  King  Egfrid 
from  the  hands  of  his  conquerors.  This  was  Abbot  Adamnan, 
to  whom  Ireland  and  Scotland  are  equally  indebted  for  his  ad- 
mirable writings,  and  who  might  almost  dispute  with  Bede  him- 
self, the  title  of  Father  of  British  History.  Adamuan  regarded 
the  fate  of  Egfrid,  we  may  be  sure,  in  the  light  of  a  judgment  on 
him  for  his  misdeeds,  as  Bede  and  the  British  Christians  very 
generally  did.  He  learned,  too,  that  there  were  in  Northumbria 
several  Christian  captives,  carried  off  in  Beort's  expedition  and 
probably  sold  into  slavery.  Now  every  missionary  that  ever  went 
out  from  lona,  had  taught  that  to  reduce  Christians  to  slavery 
was  wholly  inconsistent  with  a  belief  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Gos- 
pel. St.  Aidan,  the  Apostle  of  Northumbria,  had  refused  the  lata 
Egfrid's  father  absolution,  on  one  occasion,  until  he  solemnly  pro- 
mised to  restore  their  freedom  to  certain  captives  of  this  descrip- 
tion. In  the  same  spirit  Adamnan  voluntarily  undertook  a  journey 
to  York,  where  Aldfrid  (a  Prince  educated  in  Ireland,  and  whose 
"  Itinerary"  of  Ireland  we  still  have)  now  reigned.  The  Abbot  of 
lona  succeeded  in  his  humane  mission,  and  crossing  over  to  his 
native  land,  he  restored  sixty  of  the  captives  to  their  homes  and  kin- 
dred.  While  the  liberated  exiles  rejoiced  in  the  plain  of  Meath,  the 
tent  of  the  Abbot  of  lona  was  pitched  on  the  rath  of  Tara — a 
fact  which  would  seem  to  indicate  that  already,  in  little  more 
than  a  century  since  the  interdict  had  fallen  on  it,  the  edifices 
which  made  so  fine  a  show  in  the  days  of  Patrick  were  ruined 
and  uninhabitable.  Either  at  Tara,  or  some  other  of  the  royal 
residences,  Adamnan  on  this  visit  procured  the  passing  of  a  law, 
(A.  D.  684,)  forbidding  women  to  accompany  an  army  to  battle,  or 
to  engage  personally  in  the  conflict.  The  mild  maternal  genius  of 
Christianity  is  faithfully  exhibited  m  such  a  law,  which  consum- 
mates the  glory  of  the  worthy  successor  of  Columbkill.  It  is 
curious  here  to  observe  that  it  was  not  until  another  hundred 
years  had  past — not  till  the  beginning  of  the  ninth  century— 
that  the  clergy  were  "  exempt"  from  military  service.    So  slow 

a* 


S4 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


in".^  th«!'"-  ;',.f  ^P'•«««^^«  ^y  ^vh'-ch  Christianity  infuses  itself 
into  the  social  life  of  a  converted  people ! 

The  long  reign  of  FiNNACTA,  the  hospitable,  who  may  for  his 
many  other  virtues,  be  called  also  the  pious,  was  rende;ed  f^ 

cionment  of  the  special  tax,  so  long  levied  upon,  and  so  lone  and 
desperately  resisted  by,  the  n.en  of  Leinster.  The  an-powerTt^ 
ntercessor  in  this  case,  was  Saint  Moling,  of  the  roya  house  ^ 
Leinster,  and  Bishop  of  Fernamore  (no^'  Ferns)/  L  the  eal 
pa  tofhisreign  Finnacla  seems  not  to  have  been  disposed  o 
collect  this  invidious  tax  by  force ;  but,  yielding  Z'lT^^^ye^ 

Li    rt":  ^^^!^!;^'^«'-^  --^  hisduty.Ld  marched  ilt^ 
Leinster  to  compel  its  payment.    Here  the  holy  Prelate  of  Ferns 

dTlrti^aJtr  Vr""  ^" '-''''' '-  '^^^  ^-  ^^^'^^'^^ 

shoTno    b  r         "'"'    ^^-^-««-«.  he  contended, 

should  not  be  simply  a  suspension,  but  final  and  forever     The 

:  itThe'i''''^'^''^"^™^"^'  '''''''-^'  «^  ^^ 
TbhorA  J  "  """''  ''^""  ^''"  "^"^°  ^h«"t  'he  time  that 

Abbot  Adamnan  was  m  Ireland,  (A.  D.  684,)  and  that  illustrious 

loZ  Zl    ?V1-  ^"«°^^'™--^-  ^--«  often  attempted,  the  au- 
thonty  of  Saint  Molmg's  solemn  settlement,  prevented  it  from 

rei!n"Tnd'  ''"  "  "'"''  '"  '^'  ''^'  ''''  ''  ^"«  '^^^  ^^^  glorious 
reign ,  and  is  commemorated  as  a  saint  in  the  Irish  calendar    St 
Mohng  survved  him  three  vPir<j  n.>,i  «f   a^         "  ^"tienaar.    st. 
connected  w\th  h        "'°®y®''^''  ^'"^  ^^-  Adamnan,  so  intimately 

rZllael^TT'-""  "''"•    '''''  ''''''  '-^^'^^'^d  Ireland 

elf  chieflv  in      .  '''^"  "'  ^''"^^^^'^'  ^^•i  ««"«^-«ed  him- 

self  chiefly  m  endeavoring  to  induce  his  countrymen  to  adont  th« 

Roman  rule,  as  to  the  tonsure,  and  the  celebratCn  of  Eas  J  On 
his  occasion  there  was  an  important  Synod  of  the  Clergy  under 
the  presidency  of  Flan,  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  held  I  Tarl 
Nothing  could  be  more  natural  than  such  an  a^semb  y  in  such  a 
place  at  such  a  period.  I„  every  recorded  instance  the  power  of 
the  cergy  had  been  omnipotent  in  politics  for  above  a 'century 
St.  Patrick  had  expurgated  the  old  constitution;  St.  RuadS 
cu.»e  drove  the  kings  from  Tura,  ^  Columbkiil  had  es^bhshed 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


85 


tlie  independence  of  Alba,  and  preserved  the  Bardic  Order ;  St. 
Moling  had  abolished  the  LeinsLer  tribute.  If  their  power  waa 
irresistible  in  the  sixth  and  esi)ecially  in  the  seventh  centuries,  we 
must  do  these  celebrated  Abb.»ts  and  Bishops  the  justice  to  re- 
member that  it  was  always  exercised  against  the  oppression  of 
the  weak  by  the  strong,  to  mitigate  the  horrors  of  war,  to  uphold 
the  right  of  sanctuary  (the  Habeas  Corpus  of  that  rude  age), 
and  for  the  maintenance  and  spread  of  sound  Christian  principles. 


>»> 


CHAPTER  VII. 

KINGS   OF   THE   EIGHTH   CENTtTRT. 

The  kings  of  the  eighth  century  are  Congall  II.  (sum.med 
Kenmare),  who  reigned  seven  years ;  Feargal,  who  reigned  ten 
years ;  Forgartah,  Kenneth,  Flaherty,  respectively  one,  four,  and 
seven  years;  Hugh  V.  (surnamed  Allan),  nine  years;  Donald 
III.,  who  reigned  (A.  D.  739-759)  twenty  years ;  Nial  II.  (sur- 
named Nial  of  the  Showere),  seven  years  ;  and  Donough  I,,  who 
reigned  thirty-one  years,  A.  D.  76G-797.  The  obituarie'i  of  these 
kings  show  that  we  have  fallen  on  a  comparatively  peaceful  age, 
«ince  of  the  entire  nine  but  three  perished  in  battle.  One 
retired  to  Armagh  and  one  to  lona,  where  both  departed  in  the 
monastic  habit ;  the  others  died  either  of  sickness  or  old  age. 

Yet  the  peaceful  character  of  this  century  is  but  comparative, 
for  in  the  first  quarter  (A.  D.  722),  we  have  the  terrible  battle 
of  Almain,  between  Leinster  and  the  Monarch,  in  which  30,000 
men  were  stated  to  have  engaged,  and  7,000  to  have  fallen.  The 
monarch,  who  had  double  the  number  of  the  Leinster  Prince 
was  routed  and  slain,  apropos  of  which  we  have  a  Bardic  tale 
told,  which  almost  transports  one  to  the  far  East,  the  simple 
lives  and  awful  privileges  of  the  Hindoo  Brahmins.  It  seems 
that  some  of  King  Feargal's  army,  in  foraging  for  their  fellows, 
drove  off  the  only  cow  of  a  hermit,  who  lived  in  seclusion  near  a 
solitary  little  chapel  called  Killin.  The  enraged  recluse,  at  the 
very  moment  the  armies  were  about  to  engage,  appeared  between 


-i 


f 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRILAND. 

5a  every  history  ZZant  l'"^"' '''  ^"  ^"^^'*«'  ^  ^«  f«»n«^ 

Vice  of  GoThas  II  If  it"^  ''  "'"'  '^"'^"^^  *«  *^«  «- 
on  the  field 'c^Alta"  '"''  "  ^'^"^"'  "«  ^-«  -«-h«"ea 

inthrLr/rirat^^^^^ 

1^0  ^reat  events  to  record  ^  ''^''  ^^  ^^^^^  ^«  J^^^*^ 

Flaherty,  the  next  who  succeeded   «ft«r  -    • 
Beven  years,  withdrew  from  T^7^    a-T         '''^°'^"'  '"'^  ^^ 
mssPfi  tho  1  "®  splendid  cares  of  a  crown  nn<i 

twofold  character  of  poet  and  hi     wl'  ""^  V»"""„ed  the 
Allan),  the  son  of  PEA»o»r^f  T'  '""'  ^™   ™™™ed 

lege.  Of  holy  person,  and  pla,5  Hi^Jr-rf"  ""•  ""  """- 
was  u,de..aken  in  vindicaMon  ^f  th  rises':  t'^  "^T™"' 
»nable  by  anns  to  vindicate  th^r  own  'nlh  »  '  T  "°™ 
the  troublesome  little  princioalltv  of  ni-^wi  '  ^""^  "' 

stricken  in  voa«  and^^        'L  "  '""""'  """"Sh  ™" 

excu^ion's  C  fo^  bircorpred'^t^d  '"""V"  ""'  "'  "'' 
tbroagh  which  he  pasa^  toXe  Wm^ J"^,"'  ""'- "^"""'"^ 
to  the  la.  every  Where  exilT  C  lirthe  t  '-  "°"'^''  "" 
the  exemptions  of  his  ord^r  „  "^.°V  """"'■  J""'""' ">' 
poetic  message  aditsed tLTr n'"""  f  ""'  ="=*°^'' '"  » 
a  Prince,  was  bound  to  esl^"t  °"' '"'°'  ""  '  Christian.nd 
the  territory  of  The  XT  !  ,"  '"""■*•  "J"  """^^^  '"to 
^ead  on  the'^ththyrttchtn  tuZ^TT  ""^  •"■' 
--^agaln,  his  host  chanting  a  tar"' s!;"  t^^,^  ~ 

Bi^^nraCs --rf  ai;^-!  tsr- 
^"'ximhramtr '^  T/'"-  -^  ~rs 

*^™  Britain' aw7a;:r'  5^111'  ™°  'T  "™^°- 
«.  .om  the  BalUc  in  th^  „ext  il^X^rtfUtr 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


61 


rooMy  applied :  the  colony  being,  It  Is  said,  really  from  Wales,  of 
old  British  stock,  who  had  migrated  rather  than  live  under  the 
yoke  of  their  victorious  Anglo-Saxon  Kings.  The  descendants 
of  thoso  Welshmen  are  still  to  be  traced,  though  intimately  inter- 
mingled with  the  original  Balgic  and  later  Milesian  settlers  in 
Mayo,  Sligo,  and  Qalway — Urns  giving  a  peculiar  character  to 
that  section  of  the  country,  .easily  disiistinguishable  from  all  the 
rest. 

Although  Hugh  Allan  did  not  imitate  his  father's  conduct 
toward's  ecclesiastics,  he  felt  bound  by  all-ruling  custom  to 
avenge  his  father's  death.  In  all  ancient  countries  the  kins- 
men of  a  murdered  man  were  both  by  law  and  custom  the 
•vengers  of  his  blood.  The  members  of  the  Greek  phratry  of 
the  Roman  fatria,  or  gens,  of  the  Germanic  and  Anglo-Saxon 
guild,  and  of  the  mediaeval  sworn  commune,  were  all  solemnly 
boimd  to  avenge  the  blood  of  any  of  their  brethren,  unlawfully 
slain.  So  that  the  repulsive  repetition  of  reprisals,  which  so  dis- 
gusts the  modern  reader  in  our  old  annals,  is  by  no  means  a  phe- 
nonenon  peculiar  to  the  Irish  state  of  society.  It  was  in  the 
middle  age  and  in  early  times  common  to  all  Europe,  to  Britain 
and  Germany,  as  well  as  to  Greece  and  Rome.  It  was,  doubtless, 
under  a  sense  of  dut>  of  this  sort,  that  Hugh  V.  led  into  Lein- 
ster  a  large  array  (A.  D.  733),  and  the  day  of  Ath-Senaid  fully 
atoned  for  the  day  of  Almain.  Nine  thousand  of  the  men  of 
Leinster  were  left  on  the  field,  including  most  of  their  chiefs ; 
the  victorious  monarch  losing  a  son,  and  other  near  kinsmen. 
Four  years  later,  he  himself  fell  in  an  obscure  contest  near  Kells, 
in  the  plain  of  Meath.  Some  of  his  quatrains  have  come  down 
to  us,  and  they  breathe  a  spirit  at  once  religious  and  heroic — such 
as  must  have  greatly  endeared  the  Prince  who  possessed  it  to  his 
companions  in  arms.  We  are  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  find  his 
reign  a  favorite  epoch  with  subsequent  Bards  and  Story-tellers. 

The  long  and  prosperous  reign  of  Donald  III.  succeeded  (A.  D. 
739  to  759'j.  He  is  almost  the  only  one  of  this  series  of  Kings  of 
whom  it  can  be  said  that  he  commanded  in  no  notable  battle. 
The  annals  of  his  reign  are  chiefly  filled  with  ordinary  accidents, 
and  the  obits  of  the  learned.  But  its  literary  and  religious 
record  aboj^nds  with  bright  names  and  great  achievements,  af 


18 


POPULAR   HISTORV    OF   IRELAND. 


I 


«"U  II.  fsurnaruod  of  the  Shovvenl  ,„n  .„  i.  ""81  red. 

ther  of  the  warrior-Bard    Hnl  V  """  ""''  ^"^ 

white  wand  of  arve^i^niv  Ir  '  ™'  "'"  "'™"'«'  "'"■  *» 
more  piou.  tha„r  X Ltt  '"^l  Tl"  'Z  ™"""'  °"* 
hi»  na„,e  i.  accounted  for  bya  B,r^ic  ta  T  k'"**"  *" 
him  as  another  Mo«,  at  whl  pra'Tl^';:,:  ""'  T™'""" 
time  of  famine.     Whatever  " Xer  ■    fl   "  ?™™"'  '" 

-ought  in  hi,  reign,  it  i,  cer  J„   iTa  J    "  irtr."  ? 
oiBce  for  s»7en  years  Nial  re-,i»nert  .   °     ..'W'"*  «ie  ku«ly 
pass  the  remaiLlcr  of  l^i    dfvs  in""°'°"'''"'™'» 
Eight  y.ars  he  led  the   ife  offl  ^  fZT  """^S  r"""'™- 
his  grave  is  one  of  those  of  "the  Thr™      *"' """'^  '*'  "''"« 
out  in  th.  cemetery  of  the  Kit s     He  ^'f  ,"■'■"  '""  "°''""=^ 
Princes,  his  ..temporaries,  whX.  ^  tt sZertforr 
learn  ,n  this  same  century,  that  Cellach,  son  of  the  ffi.!  o/r 
naught,  died  in  Holy  Orders,  and  that  Bee  Prince  .fm- r        "l 
Ardga,,,        Of  a  ,a,er  King  o,C„„„aught?hadr.      «":";:" 

r^nrstinr-'p^irrriX"  "7*  -  '"•^^  ^ 

to  h. .  ,.„ J  -t--  r :„—; = 
Ki::.":r:i!,:ht  ,:u:;:rr;?^  -'?:  t-r  '^: 

treiand  had  now  not  only  J,L,„„eJ  ta,  bu^onf h'y  ^ft,:,,' 
oJ>er  royal  residences  in  Meath  as  their  ,sual  niL  of  abodl 

^Muacrhi.n,  a  minor  branch  of  tho  rulincr  race      Th5«  i, 
developing  its  power  so  unexpectedly,  and  .,ln  „,t  a^vI     cerZ 

a    le':  hair""'"' '""" ""'''  *^  "™™»^  "' " P«'       P*™ 
bott  wt^  T  '  T  'T"  '"™'™''  "■  1»«ol' about  boundl^ 

lus  re,gn,  led  h,a  forces  mto  lK>th  principalities,  «,d  without  batth 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


89 


received  their  hostages.  Giving  hostages — generally  the  sons  of 
the  chiefs — was  the  usual  form  of  ratifyliifj  any  treaty.  Generally 
also,  the  Iiisho|)  of  the  district,  or  its  most  distinguished  ecclo- 
9iastic,  was  called  in  as  witness  of  the  terras,  and  both  parties  were  * 
coleiuniy  sworn  on  the  relics  of  Saints— the  Gospels  of  the  Monas- 
teries or  Cathedrals — or  the  croziers  of  their  venerated  founders. 
Tiio  breach  of  such  a  treaty  was  considered  "  a  violation  of  the 
relics  of  the  saint,"  whose  name  had  been  invoked,  and  awful  pen- 
alties were  expected  to  follow  so  heinous  a  crime.  The  hostages 
were  then  carried  to  the  residence  of  the  King,  to  whom  they 
were  entrusted,  and  while  the  peace  lasted,  ei\joyed  a  parole  free- 
dom, and  every  consideration  duo  to  their  rank.  If  of  tonder 
age  they  were  educated  with  the  same  care  as  the  children  of 
the  household.  But  when  war  broke  out  their  situation  was 
always  precarious,  and  sometimes  dangerous.  In  a  few  instances 
they  had  even  been  put  to  death,  but  this  was  considered  a 
violation  of  all  the  laws  both  of  hospitality  and  chivalry  ;  usually 
they  were  removed  to  some  strong  secluded  fort,  and  carefully 
guarded  as  pledges  to  be  employed,  according  to  the  chances 
and  changes  of  the  war.  That  Donogh  preferred  negotiation  to 
war,  we  may  infer  by  his  course  towards  Leinster  and  Munster, 
in  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  and  his  "  kingly  parlee"  at  a  later 
period  (A.  D.  783)  with  Fiachna,  of  Ulidia,  son  of  that  over- 
exacting  HugliRoin,  whose  head  was  taken  from  his  shoulders  at 
the  Church  door  of  Faughard.  This  "  kingly  parlee"  was  held  on 
an  island  oflF  tlie  Methian  shore,  called  afterwards  "  King's  Island." 
But  little  good  came  of  it.  Both  parties  still  held  their  own 
views,  so  that  the  satirical  poets  asked  what  was  the  use  of  the 
island,  when  one  party  "  would  not  come  upon  the  land,  nor  the 
other  upon  the  sea?"  However,  we  needs  must  agree  with  King 
I>onogh,  that  war  is  the  last  resort,  and  is  only  to  be  tried  when 
all  other  means  have  failed. 

Twice  during  this  reign,  the  whole  island  was  stricken  with 
panic,  by  extraordinary  signs  in  the  heavens,  of  huge  serpents 
coiling  themselves  through  the  stars,  of  fiery  bolts  flying  like 
shuttles  from  one  side  of  the  horizon  to  the  other,  or  shooting 
downward  directly  to  the  earth.  These  atmospheric  wonders 
were  accompanied  by  thunder  and  lightning  so  loud  and  so  pro- 


fi 


I  ; 


m 


!         i  i 


40 


POPULAR    HISTORT   OF   IRBLANB. 


rent  by  lightninir  and  foil  tn  th  !  ^*™®'^'' '  "Weepies  were 

earthquake  were  nUn  f«if  „    i  ..        """"'ngs-     Shocks  of 

turies.    Hitherto  we  have  onlv  uLt       T  ^''  ^"^^  '=''^- 


CHAPTER  Tlir. 

^HAT  THB   IRISH   SCHOOLS  AXD  SAIXTS  DID  IN  THB  THRBB  PTR«T 
CHRISTIAN    CENTURIES.  ™" 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  clos«  nf  th^  *u-  ^ 
the  death  of  mnt  Patrick,  and  And  l*:,*'"!":"'''  ":?"' 
protracted  struggle  with  the  heathen  wartZ  of  T    7°  °'  " 
H  i.  «.».  therefore,  to  ^,  hac.  o„  theTJ:,  r^Z^' 


POPULAR    nrSTORT    OF   IRBLAWD. 


4t 


and  see  what  changes  have  been  wrought  in  the  land,  since  ita 
kings,  instead  of  waiting  to  be  attaclced  at  home,  had  made  the 
mirrounding  sea  "  foam  with  the  oars"  of  tlieir  outgoing  expe« 
dltlons. 

The  most  obvious  change  in  the  condition  of  the  country  is 
traceable  in  ita  constitution  and  laws,  into  every  part  of  which,  as 
was  its  wont  from  the  beginning,  the  spirit  of  Christianity  sought 
patiently  to  infuse  itself.  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  expur- 
gation of  the  constitution,  which  prohibited  the  observance  of 
Pagan  rites  to  the  kings,  and  imposed  on  them  insl«ad,  certain 
social  obligations.  This  was  a  first  change  suggested  by  Saint 
Patrick,  and  executed  mainly  by  his  disciple.  Saint  Benignus. 
We  have  seen  the  legislative  success  which  attended  the  measures 
of  Columbkill,  Moling,  and  Adamnan ;  in  other  reforms  of  minor 
importance  the  paramount  influence  of  tlie  clerical  order  may  be 
easily  traced. 

But  it  is  in  their  relation  as  teachers  of  human  and  divine 
science  that  the  Irish  Saints  exercised  their  greatest  power,  not 
*  only  over  their  own  countrymen,  but  over  a  considerable  part  of 
Europe.  The  intellectual  leadership  of  western  Europe — the 
glorious  ambition  of  the  greatest  nations— has  been  in  turn  ob- 
tained by  Italy,  Prance,  Britain  and  Germany.  Prom  the  middle 
of  the  sixth  to  the  middle  of  the  eighth  century,  it  will  hardly  be 
disputed  that  that  leadership  devolved  on  Ireland.  All  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  sixth  century  helped  to  confer  it  upon  tho 
newly  converted  western  isle ;  the  number  of  her  schools,  and 
the  wisdom,  energy,  and  zeal  of  her  masters,  retained  for  her  the 
proud  distinction  for  two  hundred  years.  And  when  it  passed 
away  from  her  g^^sp,  she  might  still  console  herself  with  the 
grateful  reflection,  that  the  power  she  had  founded  and  exercised, 
was  divided  among  British  and  continental  schools,  which  her  own 
alumni  had  largely  contributed  to  form  and  establish.  In  the 
northern  Province,  the  schools  most  frequented  were  those  of 
Armagh,  and  of  Bangor,  on  Belfast  lougn  ;  in  Mealh,  the  school 
of  Clonard,  and  thatofClonmxcnoise,  (near  Athlone) ;  in  Leinster, 
the  school  of  Taghmon  (7li-»iw?»),  and.  Beg-Erin,  the  former 
near  the  banks  of  the  Slaney,  the  latter  in  Wexford  harbor ;  in 
Munster,  the  school  of  lismore  on  tho  Blackwater,  aad  of  Mun- 


42 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


ii! 


dent,  a  »i-amsto„ce  VhchpZad  mol.'r '''''"'■"''  ^"'■ 
wh3„  the  aea  Icings  of  the  ZIZtTTnJT"'  '"  ""'"' 
chores  of  the  island.    They  derire/rheir  t,!^  ""''  '"  "" 

taxing  their  na„il,_b„t  in  fh! T .  ""'"''nance-not  from 

the  lessons  given,  but  the  venUL  b1  L',,"!"!  ?  "•  "^ 

-  ..el,  it  w"af ttf hadrj;:*:  ^dtt^  "ir^.r: 

.e.iatee,erg.appea:edTh:::Zt^:':Cr;;:;  -^1    ' 
science,  endowed  particular  institutions  out  of  thpt"  , 

.0,0  patriot,™'  :h-c!,ri;  so'  u':?  it:Thr:r''^'r'■ 
aiauuates  ot  those  schoo  s.     Colurabkill  in  h:.  „ 

=?.  :l^^  ^™^-  «-ngrorhi:s^;r„:  'z 

.ni  n  ,      u  ■*'  ""°°  '■''  ''appinoss  to  walk  in  A,nn 

.nJ  Oolunabanus,  beyond  the  Alps,  remo„,hers  with  ;:ide "h,! 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


43 


Bchool  of  Bangor— the  very  name  of  which  inspires  hi/a  with 
poetic  rapture. 

The  buildings,  in  which  so  many  scholars  were  housed  and 
tauglit,  must  have  been  extensive.  Some  of  the  schools  we  have 
mentioned  were,  when  most  flourishing,  frequented  by  one,  two, 
three,  and  even,  at  some  periods,  as  many  as  seven  thousand 
scholars.  Such  a  population  was  alone  sufficient  to  form,  a  large 
village ;  and  if  we  add  the  requisite  number  of  teachers  and 
attendants,  we  will  have  an  addition  of  at  least  one-third  to 
the  total.  The  buildings  seem  to  have  been  separately  of  no 
great  size,  but  were  formed  into  streets,  and  even  into  some- 
thing like  wards.  Armagh  was  divided  into  three  parts — triari' 
more  (or  the  town  proper),  trian-. Patrick,  the  Cathedral  close, 
and  triari'Sassenagh,  the  Latin  quarter,  the  home  of  the  for- 
eign students.  A  tall  sculptured  Cross,  dedicated  to  some  favor- 
ite saint,  stood  at  the  bounds  of  these  several  wards,  reminding 
the  anxious  student  to  invoke  their  spiritual  intercession  as  he 
passed  by.  Early  hours  and  vigilant  night  watches  had  to  be 
exercised  to  prevent  conflagrations  in  such  village-seminaries, 
built  almost  wholly  of  wood,  and  roofed  with  reeds  or  shingles. 
A  Cathedml,  or  an  Abbey  Church,  a  round  tower,  or  a  cell  of 
some  of  the  ascetic  masters,  would  probably  be  the  only  stone 
structure  within  the  limits.  To  the  students,  the  evening  star 
gave  the  signal  for  Fetirement,  and  the  morning  sun  for  awak- 
•  ing.  When,  at  the  sound  of  the  early  bell,  two  or  three  thou- 
sand of  them  poured  into  the  silent  streets  and  made  their  way 
towards  the  lighted  Church,  to  join  in  the  service  of  matins, 
mingling,  as  they  went  or  returned,  the  tongues  of  the  Gael, 
the  Girabri,  the  Pict,  the  Saxon,  and  the  Frank,  or  hailing  and 
answering  each  other  in  the  universal  language  of  the  Roman 
Church,  the  angels  in  Heaven  must  have  loved  to  contemplate 
the  uiiiou  of  so  much  p9r33verance  with  so  much  piety. 

Tiie  lives  of  the  masters,  not  less  than  their  lessons,  were 
»tu  lied  and  observed  by  their  pupils.  At  that  time,  as  we  gather 
foin  every  authority,  they  were  models  of  simplicity.  One 
Bisliop  is  found,  erecting  with  his  own  hands,  the  cashel  or  stone 
enclosure  which  surrounded  his  cell ;  another  is  laboring  in  the 
field,  and  gives  his  blessing  to  his  visitors,  standing  between  the 


44 


MPULAB   mSTOKT   o,   „Bl^»„ 


'»«  Cimrcl,,  if  „„,  ',h  ':^;;^'  3°:  »V-'^»-    The  deco  Ji„  ™ 

""o  aerved  at  the  altar  i;,'™""'  T  '"^  ""*  »f  '"oaa 
ornamental  f„„ti  tho  yell  J  „  '^"""^de.  'ho  rood-screen  the 
--  written ;  tU.  o,™:  ".Td™  th'  ^  """""'  "»*  "-^■^ 

'he  vale  of  Bangor  msonnd  asT"t  J. "J""''"  """<="  """>« 
composition,  the  hy,„„,  thaT  ^t''*!^, '!^  ""«*. --"a  their 
I'  w  a  poor  Church  that  /""""""P^^o^  it  were  their  own 
Irish  proverbs;  andthel„/-  .     ""  "'™''=."  ^  one  of  the  old^i 

"'Armagh.  reU?:t:'t:7T"'^''"""'-->'»°h: 
«"PP'Jed  to  the  early  Church  "''  *  "'»'  "»»  »ot  left  un- 

-  4nSr;t:rrc:::r  n- "'°  --  --  - 

»g  years  in  one  place,  transfer  „"  1^  t  *  """''^'-  ^"o--  Pa^s- 
toes  to  a  third  and  a  fourth  «^"'* '"»"''*«■■.'«'' sLe. 
more  distinguished  m  humn  q.-  """"rawere,  perhaps 

^".^kiU  studied  in  two  oT;^rd?;T"'"""--'^^    <'- 
»«.e„.  perhaps  a,  disputant  ortctur!?     """'*■  »""  "«« 
ater  years.    Nor  should  we  al     .    !^  """"on  custom  in 
he  students  of  whom  te  sp"  ".    tf  °  "f  "'  ""'"'^^^  "' * 
toacher*  or  learned,  „,  ^^l     kT"'  '"'■»'  »''>e*er  as 
roaohed  middle  life  brfore  tZ  1  ?  ^^  '=''"™'«™  togethe^ 
world     forty  years  is  I'lolr'' "" '"'™'='°™  "P"- *» 
'hose  days,  when  aa  yet  the  d  IT      "''  '"'  ""  ^""'"a'e  of 
«■»'    wi.dom  come'  Z  ZZ  T  ™""^''  «>'«  »"-«■ 
ohm  of  youth.  '"^  ""'  'nwe  of  down  up„a  ^o 

o'S'^i^ylttrrolT  '"'"'»"«"  ^'-Part 
country,  a„d  t^  lang„a,.e  of  the^      ''^    ^"^  '""S-^go  of  the 

°,«"'P'--8«ok  a;;  Hebrew   r  i""""'  '""  '""^^^^^ 
"r.tmgs  of  the  Fathers,  especialir„f  I     '"""'  "'  Aristotle,  The 

"ho  appears  to  have  been  a  a^lf  f^  ^'^"^^  "■»  Or^at- 
•he  defective  Physics  of  the  2^7  J "''*''■'' "'h  Church- 
Poetical  composition  went  ^  com Te  J  ,f?»™«'«».  «"*,  and 
"0  remember  that  all  the  booZ  "  'argest  course.    When 

^  had  not  yet  been  i    eu  *  ZuT'T'""' '  "■«'  -»" 

'«,  that  tho  best  parchment  wa» 


FOFULAR    HI8TCRT    OP   IRELAND. 


45 


equal  to  8o  mut  a  beaten  gold.and  a  perfect  MS.  was  worth  a  king's 
ransom,  we  may  better  estimate  tlie  difficulties  in  the  way  of  The 
scholar  of  the  sevenUi  century.    Knowing  these  facts,  we  can 
very  well  credit  that  part  of  the  «tory  of  St.  ColurabkiU's  banish- 
ment into  Argyle,  which  turns  on  what  might  be  called  a  copy- 
right dispute,  in  which  the  monarch  took  the  side  of  St.  Finian 
of  Clonard,  (whose  original  MSS.  his  pupil  seems  to  have  copied 
without  permission,)  and  the  Clan-Conal  stood  up,  of  course  for 
their  kinsman.    This  dispute  is  even  said  to  have  led  to  the  affair 
of  Culdrum,  in  Sligo,  which  is  sometimes  mentioned  as  "  the 
battle  of  the  book."    The  same  tendency  of  the  national  charac 
ter  which  overstocked  the  Bardic  Order,  becomes  again  visible  in 
Its  Christian  schools;  and  if  we  could  form  anything  like  an  aiv 
proximate  census  of  the  population,  anterior  to  the°northern  in- 
vasions, we  would  find  that  the  proportion  of  ecclesiastics  was 
greater  than  has  existed  either  before  or  since  in  any  Christian 
country.    The  vast  designs  of  missionary  zeal  drew  off  large  bodies 
of  those  who  had  entered  Holy  Orders ;  still  the  numbers  engac^ed 
as  teachers  m  the  great  schools,  as  well  as  of  those  who  passed 
their  lives  in  solitude  and  contemplation,  must  have  been  out  of 
all  modern  proportion  to  the  lay  inhabitants  of  the  Island 

The  most  eminent  Irish  Sainta  of  the  fifth  century  were  St 
n>ar,  St.  Benignus  and  St.  Kieran,  of  Ossory;  in  the  sixth,  St. 
Brendan, of  Clonfert;  Bt.  Brendan,  of  Birr;  St.  Maccartin,  of 
Clogher;  St  Fmian,  of  MoviUe;  St.  Finbar,  St.  Cannice,  St. 
Finian,  of  Glonard;  w>d  St.  Jarlath.  of  Tuam;  in  the  seventh 

7T7'  for"^'  ^'  ^'''""^'  ^'^^"P  «^  ^^^Shlin ;  St.  Kieran. 
Abbot  of  Clonmacnoise;   St.  Comgall,  Abbot  of  Bangor-   St 
Carrtjage,  Abbot  of  Lismore;   St.  Colman,  Bishop  of  D^omore ;' 
St.  Moling,  Bishop  of  Ferns;  St.  Colman  Ela,  Abbot;  St.  Cum     " 
nuan,  'the  White;"   St.  Finian,  Abbot;   St.  Gall,  Ipostle  of 
Switzerland;    St.  Fridolin,  "the  Traveller;"    St.  Columbanus 
Apostle  oi  Burgundy  and  Lombardy;   St.  Killian,  Apostle  of 
Francoma;  St.  ColumbkiU,  Apostle  of  the  Picts  •  St    Co  Lc 
called"the  Navigator;"  St.  Cuthbert;  and  St.  kil'lZi 
of  Northumbria.    In  the  eighth   century  the  most  il  ust' ious 
names   are   St.    Cataldus,    Bishop   of   Tarentum ;    St.   Adam 
uun,  Abbot  Of  lona;  St.  Rumold,  ^.  ostle  of  Brabint;   cfe   eat 


*o 


'""'"''  ""^™«'  o.  ™,,,,„. 


and  Albiims,  "  the  w.oa 

'"".  Bishop  „,Sa,teM,*~r'"'  ""''  «'-''»'-S^  or  ViM 
ha-'^  .o,„a  account  „f  sfsam L  °  ^•'■™""'"  ''"  *»  ^a"«  "It^  t 

St.  Mo„|„a,  St.  rta  of  DcaiJa^d  S    «T*  °'"'""'7.-  "»<!  of 
«»™.  m  the  sixth.    Tb„  „ZZ!f'     """■  "  ^--MS''.  Of  Kil 

*e  number  of  „,„„,,„„     ^'-J^.  "  less  easily  ascertained  tha„ 

*:"  '°"^'«  -""-some  pr:;:.^:"™'  .'"'""  "«'^»-PP-" 
even  counted  by  hundred,     n'T      '       '"''""•  »"  '»  '«"■» 
was  held  during  b„r  ,ife,  ,^  "  °  ^f'f ""  '■>  "Woh  St.  BnC 
b»ce  the  religious  state  a7d  „„^       '"•'countrywomen  to  em 
namesakes,  are  record^  "^  "a  "«  """  ''""^  ^'ntlTer 
^=»II  all  holypersons  'h/;j7_^    '0  r*"™  »'   "-"^e  C 
hence  national    „n     proCra^,  ",^' ~''"' <"  ™cti.y  &,-„^ 

::sr "-'---;' or  rvrtt^v- 

Ti,„  ■  .  „  Koman 

rhemtellectuallaborsofth^r-v 
'-cWng  such  immensermbeliT    '"''°*'  ''^"'-  »•  h«Jc  of 
»l,  and  the  missionary  colZ'.™'"  "'  ""  """"^  ""  «'eir  own 
,■  are  diversifled  by  JCZTZ:''''^'''''  "arelyalluX. 
Iog,cal_s„oh  as  the  •■  Easta   r^r  *'  ""™™'=  ""d  partly  theo^ 
-e«y."  and  that  maintatTdty  ."r™?'"  *»  "  ^-°nsure  Co  Z^ 
e.™tence  of  the  Antipodes    '       °"'''  '"«  ""o^eter,"  as  to  Z  ' 
^ne  discussion  g^tni^h^ 

;.^  occupied  thed„t:SrCo'rci,:fr  •'"'"^--'  '''>■•"'' 
'"■■y,  was  raised  in  Ireland  and  in  R  v  "° '"  *"  '"«"■"'  eeo- 

complete  uniformity  ,vas  nof.  ,  , ,"""  "^'^^ '"  "«  si^th  and 
"  occupied  the  tifo  Ibts  Vr      «'  ""  '"'  <-  >"  fte  ^^ 
-nof  tl.e  Irish  C,mr;M„l:r,r "''■""  "'  '"^  *' 
Lately  survive,  to  attest  their  Ci,        7  '"''"'"""'*■'  «"'  for- 
"»"■  zeal.    St.  Patrick  had  in,  ^°  ""''  'o'erance,  as  well  as 
«>n.p„tatio„oftin,e  hen  Oh    ™^""''"  *»  "«-  oent,"y  ,^ 
"^y  Of  the  Irish  doctor,  ^rtll    ?'',''"''  *"  ""'  ous.o  ' 

C talendom  had  agreed  to  Ct  tt  If ' '"?  "^'^^  ««  ■■-'  »' 


POPULAR    HISTORV    OF    IRELAND. 


47 


»f  strict  agreement  with  Rome  and  the  East.  Monks  of  the  same 
Monastery  aiid  B.shops  of  the  saina  Province  luaintained  opposite 
opinions  with  e(iual  ardor,  and  mutual  charity.  It  was  a  question 
of  discipline  not  a  matter  of  faith  ;  but  it  involved  a  still  greater 
question,  whether  national  churches  ware  to  plead  the  inviolabi- 
lity  of  their  local  usages,  even  on  points  of  discipline,  against  the 
sense  and  decision  of  the  Universal  Church. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  630,  the  Synod  of  Leighlin  was  held, 
mider  the  shelter  of  the  ridge  of  Leinster,  and  the  presidency  of 
St.  Lasenan.    Both  parties  at  length  agreed  to  send  deputi^^s  to 
Rome,  as  "children  to  their  mother,"  to  learn  her  decision. 
Tliree  years  later,  that  decision  was  made  known,  and  the  mid- 
land  and  southern  dioceses  at  once  adopted  it.     The  northern 
churches,  however,  still  held  out,  under  the  lead  of  Armagh  and 
the  influence  of  lona,  nor  was  it  till  a  century  later  that  this 
scandal  of  celebrating  Easter  on  two  different  days  in  the  same 
church  was  entirely  removed.     In  justification  of  the  Roman 
rule,   St.   Cummian,  about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century 
wrote  his  famous  epistle  to  Segenius,  Abbot  of  lona,  of  the 
ability  and  learning  of  which  all  modern  writers  from  Archbishop 
Usher  to  Thomas  Moore,  speak  in  terms  of  the  highest  praise 
It  IS  one  of  the  few  remaining  documents  of  that  controversy     A 
less  vital  question  of  discipline  arose  about  the  tonsure    'ihe 
Insh.^shaved  the  head  in  a  semicircle  from  temple  to  temple, 
while  the  Latin  usage  was  to  shave  the  crown,  leaving  an  exter- 

1'  "Twk'.M'.'"  ''^^'  "''  '''''''  "^  ^^«™«-  At  the  confer, 
ence  of  Wh.tby  (A.  D.  664)  this  was  one  of  the  subjects  of  dis- 
cussion  between  the  clergy  of  lona,  and  those  who  followed  the 
Roman  method -but  it  never  assumed  the  importance  of  the 
Jiasler  controversy. 

In  the  following  century  an  Irish  Missionary,  Virgilius   ot 
flaltzburgh,  (called  by  his  countrymen  "  Feargal  theGeomete^ '^) 
was  maintaining  in  Germany  against  no  less  an  adversary  than  St 
Boniface  the  sphericity  of  the  earth  and  the  existence  of  anti- 
podes.     H.s  opponents  endeavored  to  represent  him,  or  reallv  be- 

wrom  r.;  "r"'  'f  ^'''^  ''^'^  '^^"^''' "'-'  -^ «-  -^h,  t 

whom  the  Rpleemer  had  not  died  ;  on  this  ground  they  appealed 
to  Pope  Zachury  tjaui.t  huaj  but  so  little  effect  had  this  gross 


4« 


'"'""■'  «"""  o,  ,„.,,,„. 


Iwlorlioi.  o,  hia  true  doclrI„.  „  „      ■ 

'"hoob  are  to  be  (mnsferijih"         ,.'""'  "="°°"7.  «»<»  to  it, 

-°Phy-whioh  pervaded  E„„Jt°"""°  °'  '"^  »«'">'««tic;M: 
b^en  t^^j  bj-  the  learned  Most;  "  T"  '""  """"i^*^™ 
Wiatever  may  „o„  be  thouX  ffT  *?  ""'  «"»»  ™"lar  aonrce 

<"•  oloquenee,  since  amoLlt,  "r™""  ^''^er  to  wi«io„ 
names  of  Sf  'ri,„      "'"""g  its  professors  mav  h.  .    .         '""» 

We  nluuf         """  ^'-  """«'•''•  '*'""^  "» 

"ays  in  «„;e„  wtracZrfo™^  fr-^PMon  of  .b„,e 
»f  salto  and  doctors  Ano^  '''"'"''  «>«'  title  of  the  iJTh 
"^dy  discen,  the  1  n^  W  t?  "f™'  "^'o-  -,  andte  1 
turned  to^rds  the  hot  Se  '  "?' *°'""<>°'tro„,Te.S 

«  .elds  and  their  ^J^Jt^Z^''^^  --S  with  giitX 
clianlmg  as  they  advance  th.»  '"'  '"'•-haired  warrio™ 

«»"  Of  the  m„nI..,Tmi  ,tr  vT  ™  ^^^  «'  «"'>  «»     In ' 
hear  the  ahont,  of  s.^  «™"  »"  *«  *-  banka  we  are  ;" 
for  n>ati„  hymn  and  ,es^rZn"Z!T  "  '"''^  «»»°«T,-  and 
long  and  stormy  period   with       "f  »™'o  be  beset  throu»r« 
-Jeadly  conflirt.     ^    '  "'"•  ~°'"^  <"  »trif.  and  ter,^^^^' 


«■•, 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRELAND 


49 


BOOK  II. 

THE  DANES  IN  IRELAND. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE    DANISH    INVASION. 


F/  .H  VI.,  surnamed  Omie,  succeeded  to  the  tlirone  vacant 
by  t'  <»  death  of  Donogh  I.  (A.  D.  797),  and  reigned  twenty-two 
year." ;  Conor  II.  succeeded  (A.  D.  819),  and  reigned  fourteen 
years ;  Nial  III.  (called  from  the  place  of  his  death  Nial  of  Callan) 
reigned  thirteen  years;    Malachy  I.  succeeded  (A.  D.  845)   and 
reigned  fifteen  years  ;  Hugh  VII.,  succeeded  and  reigned  siiteeu 
years,  (dying  A.  D.  877) ;  Flan  (cumamed  Flan  of  the  Shannon) 
succeeded  at  the  latter  date,  and  reigned,  for  thirty-eight  years' 
far  into  the  tenth  century.    Of  these  six  kings,  whose  reicrns 
average  twenty  years  each,  we  may  remark  that  not  onediedljy 
violence,  if  we  except  perhaps  Nial  of  Callan,  drowned  in  the  river 
of  that  name  in  a  generous  effort  to  save  the  life  of  one  of  his  own 
servants.    Though  no  former  princes  had  ever  encountered  dan- 
gers  equal  to  thes^yei  in  no  previous  century  was  the  person  of 
the  ruler  so  religiously  respected.     If  this  was  evident  in  one  or 
two  instances  only,  it  would  be  idle  to  lay  much  stress  upon  it 
but  when  we  find  the  same  truth  holding  good  of  several  succes-' 
sive  reigps,  it  is  n.>c  too  much  to  attribute  it  to  that  wide  diffu- 
ston  of  Christian  morals,  which  we  have  pointed  out  as  the  char- 
acteristic  of  the  two  preceding  centuries.    The  kings  of  this  a-e 
owed  tlieir  best  protection  to  the  purer  ethics  which  overflowed 
from  Armagh  and  Bangor  and  Lismore;  and  if  we  find  hereafter  ' 
the  regicide  habits  of  former  times  partially  revived,  it  will  ouly 
be  after  the  new  Paganism-the  Paganism  of  interminable  anti- 
Chnstian  mvasions-had  recovered  the  land,  a.nd  extinguished 
the  beacon  lights  of  the  threa  first  Christian  centuries 


60 


"OPUWB   HISTOBT    OF  IB.UHD. 


*sree,  fto  flr,t  of  all  militory  " irtue^    '       '""  ™''^  "'Sh'^' 
let  us  say  cheerfully,  ,ha.  hi,Ly  dttrorr'"":*'"  '=™™«'- 
imes  a  biarer  race  of  men  than  U.„T  "°i.P'°'™'  '"  «"  its  »ol 
<»'t'..r.    In  m„,.         "^  ''r  *"  Sc«,d,na.ia„,  of  the  ninth 

Wbes,  Who,  Whether  strtl  ilt^f '^.  7^"""-«»  "•«  «othio 
«l.e  Danube,  or  faintly  heard  o  t  tT  J'"  °"  '"^  ^"''^  <" 
Baltic,  filled  withoon^tanllthe"  t'"/™"''-"''"  ""^ 
fourth  century:  nor  can  the  inmiot  "r  t\""'^"^  "'  "'» 
maritime  Goths  be  better  intrl!.  ,  "*""  "°  ""^  «»"  the 
•  mpid  sketch  Of  the  ptvil«,  .  '"  '"'  """«  "">»  »y 
over  the  Roman  E™p°^  "'"'"''  "'  ">*  W-ired  tribes 

It  was  in  the  year  of  Our  Lord  878  th,.  .1. 
fcarbarians  defeated  the  Bmperor  Va^n,  •„  ,h  ""f  •'""^'-''^''''^ 
»Ple,  and  as  early  as  404_twenVl  ^  "'"'"  "'  Adrian- 

lory  in  Eastern  En^^ZT^C  '""",  '"'^  "■"•-  ««  '- 
h'rself.    Asainanda.ain-fn«o1„4",°"'^""'^«''''''«»"'« 
*uredandpl„„,e:.dth;i„p^ria?city    IT  '"  "^'""^  «">- 
lad  established  theuMelvea  in  Bur^mlv       cT  '*"'°  """'"'^  "'oy 
era  Africa;  in  the  next  another  hff'.'"  ^'^'"^  ""<>  '■>  North- 
^k  B„,e ,  and  yet  a^oth  *  „?nZ  the  L  °  t*'?  ^'"*  '"'- 
Northern  Italy.     With  these  GothsU,,       "^r*  ^'"''^"'^  '» 
tie  R„™.„  E„  i      ^  gent,  a'd  /°''  "  '^^  ""'^'"»  »' 

yb  into  .1,  ,„l«e,„ent  cW  luo"    „  "''""'  ""'  '"*"-«''  »« 
•aly  pursuit  worthy  oLen     I!.^    '     "  """  «°»«i'Jered  the 
freedom,  .hat  sacrej   p^  lie  "r^"*  *"  ""'■'"'''»' »"•"">«'> 
force  and  by  force,  theThrinou'T^r'  '°   »'" -'y  i" 
first  received  with  unbounded  Tr  '  1     T"  """""P"""'  '""  »« 
•■■ity  of  the  human  race  the  nrT  ,  '"''""  ''°«'""  "' th. 

Cbrittian  baptism,  and'hesubliLiTr'  '''■""  """-ed  '<■ 
But  they  were  v^ry  far  frotte'^' <■'""  Christian  republic 

their  enemies  reprienL  the™      °        "'"elorso  faithless  as 

thoy  cared  ^repr^sertt^.?;:;  ZdT  ."T  "^"'^  «- 
men  of  the  highest  capacity  aXe,,  """^  '"""«^'  them 
founder  Of  new  ..t-.oZ\Trio    ^u'^'  """7°'"'^  '"  '«  '"» 

fc.ce  and  unmerciful  it  is  true    L'ttt"'  f"'  *"»»*.  «r. 

true,  but  their  acts  are  not  all  writ!,. 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT    OF    IRELAND. 


51 


In  blood ;  they  had  their  better  moments  and  hi,",her  purposes  in 
the  intervals  of  battle;  and  the  genius  for  civil  government  of 
the  Gothic  race  was  in  the  very  beginning  demonstrated  by  such 
rulers  as  Theodoric  in  Italy,  and  Clovis  in  Gaul.    Tlie  rear  guard 
ofthis  irresistible  barbaric  invasion  was  now  about  to  break  iu 
iipon  Europe  by  a  new  route ;  instead  of  the  long  land  marches 
by  which  they  had  formerly  concentrated  from  the  distant  Baltic 
and  from  the  tributaries  of  the  Danube,  on  the  capital  of  the  Ro- 
man empire ;  instead  of  the  tedious  expeditions  striking  across 
the  Continent,  hewing  their  paths  through  dense  forest*),  arrested 
by  rapid  rivers  and  difficult  mountains,  the  last  northern  invaders 
of  Europe  had  sufficiently  advanced  in  the  arts  of  ship-building 
and  navigation  to  strike  boldly  into  the  open  sea  and  commence 
their  new  conquests  among  the  Christian  islands  of  the  West. 
The  defenders  jf  Roman  power  and  Christian  civilization  in  the* 
fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  were  arrayed  against  a  warlike  but  pas- 
toral people  encumbered  with  their  women  and  children ;  the  de- 
fenders of  the  same  civilization,  in  the  British  Islands  in  the 
ninth  and  tenth  centuries,  were  contending  with  kindred  tribes, 
who  had  substituted  maritime  arts  and  habits  for  the  pastoral 
arts  and  habits  of  the  companions  of  Attila  and  Theodoric.    The 
Gothic  invasions  of  Roman  territory  in  the  earlier  period  was, 
with  the  single  exception  of  the  naval  expeditions  of  Genseric 
from  his  new  African  Kingdom,  a  continental  war;  and  notwith- 
standing the  pai-tiality  of  Genseric  for  his  fleet,  as  an  arm  of 
offence  and  defence,  his  companions  and  successors  abandoned 
the  ocean  as  an  uncongenial  element.    The  only  parallel  for  the 
new  invasion,  of  which  we  are  now  to  speak,  is  to  be  found  in 
the  history  and  fortunes  of  the  Saxons  of  the  fifth  century,  first 
the  allies  and  afterwards  the  conquerors  of  part  of  Britain.  '  But 
even  their  descendants  in  England  had  not  kept  pace,  either  in 
the  arts  of  navigation  or  in  thirst  for  adventure,  with  their  distant 
relatives  who  remained  two  centuries  lat«r  among  the  friths  and 
rocks  of  Scandinavia. 

The  first  appearance  of  these  invaders  on  the  Irish  and  British 
coasts  occurred  in  794.  Their  first  descent  on  Ireland  was  at  Rath- 
Im  island,  which  may  be  called  the  outpost  of  Erin,  towards  the 
northj  their  second  attempt  (A.D.797)was  at  a  point  much  more 


53 


POPULAR    niSTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


IJkely  to  arouse  attention-at  Skorrfo,  nfr  ♦», 
(^o^v  Dublin;;  i„  803,  and  a.Jn  in  «n«  n  '""''  °^  ^'^^^^^^ 

derei  the  holy  lona-  br^w  V    T'  "'"^  ""'^^^ed  and  phm. 
they  became  rLlly  fonnl    rjl^l:  ^7, '''''  '^''^ 

oreaeaiflca  >l  '  l!  ,:'''. '^.''V,"™ ''"^'^' ™"'''=^  '"«  «»• 
called  Wextonl;  i„  8'f  M,.ll,'f     'T^'  ""^  """»  «fter«art, 

Banjor.    Tl,e  , am,  year  lye'la  ,„""'!  .''""   "''°""  "' 
many  of  ils  Inmates-  destrovL  M  ^,  '    "''  P"'  *»  ''"ath 

in  l-ece,  near  St^/Jr^C"": f:'  ~ase™ree.eek 
Another  party  fared  belter  in  »..^  .  ""■  favorite  stations), 
defeated  those  .ho  e'  a  e  ^"ar ^rti:'" '"'"^^' ""^"'  '"^^ 
ried  ofifa  rich  booty.    I„8.3Da nds^    m  ^"''"''-  »""  <=»'■- 

/elr.  in  L„i„,ter,  i^;  M^  h   :  d   ,    'clrTr,  "--'•''""^ 
prisoners  of  nri„colvrai.k  H,„      i      .  '  ""''   ''™"'''»  many 

Armagh  for  fhe  aril  Ci  'I  ta",  8™-'  t  "*"""»'  *^  "' 
Oliief  captains,  at  this  noriod  ,  I       ^^°  """""»  »'  "■"i-' 

"i.ohads„m;nyre    „L  rtlUr""'''""™''  "^  "'- 
to  hearof  thelvars,0laf    andT,"^^";*'"'  ""^  ""e  "-"v  begiu 

«».n  in  battle  or  i„  diplomacy,    it  ™  n^t  n  7 '°°''"'  """ 
this  century  (A.  D  837^  th,f  ,  !,  ''"  *«  mM^le  of 

■^i-ric,  a„i  .ome'othe    hart^  "^rth  '"/?'^  ""^""' 

wmter  in  Ireland,  and  declare  thrpI^itL!?  ^""''  '" 
conquest  of  tlie  country  P"rpo.se  to  bo  the  complete 

^'^^t^ifz^s^nzn  ^  '•*™ "-  •"-■»' 

'".a  Baltic  is  seldom  nav  ^wrbeltZ  t^  ""'  °'"'^''  »"<' 
season  of  their  depredations     A  w^v  ^     '  '"■""«"•  ^^  *» 
ice,  the  intrepid  aLn  "Z, ,1"'  '"/  '"»  "'•"^tag  «P  of  the 
in  the  Oattegat  or  on  te  coast  Tm     """'""^  "P""  *=  '»■"""> 
ble  moment  of  departu'T    °'  ""r^^'  ^«iting  the  favora- 
the  heathen  rites  Crtnd  ^d^the'^'r'' '''*  "'"''''''"■-" 
na.  festivals,  and  the  J<,ui;m:    '  f'^h     'X^  «[  "f  "accha- 
built  in  Norway,  and  pr„l«Wy  in  the  n^r  >!  ^■  ,         '"S'^^iP 
cantnry,  had  34  bank    of  oara     T  !  ,         1   f°'^  ""'  "'""'""' 
.-ted  from  100  to  120  men     tL  ^""'  T"  "'"'^  "'  '''""^  <«>- 
"""•    "">  8reat  fleet  which  invaded  Ire, 


POPULAR    HISTORY    0^   IRELAND. 


59 


land  in  837  counted  120  vessels,  which,  if  of  average  size  fof 
such  long  voyages,  would  give  a  u)tal  force  of  some  6,000  men, 
A^  tlie  whole  population  of  Denmark,  in  the  reign  of  Canute  who 
di(Ml  in  1035,  is  estimated  at  800,000  souls,  we  may  judge  from 
their  fleets  how  large  a  portion  of  the  mori  were  engaged  in  these 
piratical  pursuits.    The  ships  on  which  they  prided  themselves  so 
highly  were  tiat-bottowed  craft,    with  littlo  or  no  keel,  the  side* 
of  wicker  work,  covered  with  strong  hides.    They  were  impelled 
either  by  sails  or  oars  as  the  changes  of  the  weather  allowed  ; 
with  favorable  winds  they  often  made  the  voyage  in  three  days. 
As  if  to  favor  their  designs,  the  north  and  north-west  blast  blow* 
for  a  hull  Ired  days  of  the  year  over  the  sea  they  had  to  traverse, 
Wlien  land  was  made,  in  some  safe  estuary,  their  galleys  were 
drawn  up  ou  shore,  a  convenient  distance  beyond  highwater 
mark,  where  they  formed  a  rude  camp,  watch-fires  were  lighted, 
sentinels  set,  and  the  fearless  a  Iventurers  slept  as  soundly  as  if 
under  their  own  roofs,  in  their  own  country.     Their  revels  after 
victory,  or  on  returning  to  their  homes,  were  as  boisterous  as 
their  lives.    In  food  they  looked  more  to  quantity  than  quality, 
and  one  of  their  most  determined  itfejudices  against  Christianity 
was  that  it  did  not  sanction  the  eating  of  horse  flesh.    An  exhil- 
erating  beer,  made  from  heath,  or  from  the  spruce  tree,  was  their 
principal  beverage,  and  the  recital  of  their  own  adventures,  or 
the  national  songs  of  the  Scalds    were  their  most  cherished 
amusement.      Many  of  the  Vikings  were  themselves  Scalds,  and 
excelled,  as  might  be  expected,  in  the  composition  of  war  songs. 
The  Pagan  belief  of  this  formidable  race  was  in  harmony  with 
all  their  thoughts  and  habits,  and  the  exact  opposite  of  Chris- 
tianity.   In  the  beginning  of  time,  according  to  their  tmdition, 
there  was  neither  heaven  nor  earth,  but  only  universal  chaos  and 
a  bottomless  abyss,  where  dwelt  Surtur  in  an  element  of  un- 
quenchal  le  fire.    The  generation  of  iheir  gods  proceeded  amid  the 
darkneb.  and  void,  {torn  the  union  of  heat  and  moisture,  until 
Odin  and  the  other  children  of  Asa-Thor,  or  the  Earth,  slevr 
Yraer,  or  the  Evil  One,  and  created  the  material  universe  out  of 
hia  lifeless  remains.    These  heroic  conquerors  also  collected  the 
sparks  of  eternal  Are  flying  about  in  the  abyss  and  fixed  them  as 
■tars  in  tihe  firmament.    In  additioa,  they  erected  iu  the  fiut 


^. 


»oi.uL*a  Hisioar  of  mELAim. 


ot :;,  s  r ret;  „r ■:  it  «.'-"■•  --  - «-. 

Of  thene  tvvo  cities    of  tl.«ir  J  T  *^'*"^'''  *"^  *»'«  ^vars 

■•av»n,,  Spirit  and  *Co'  ^r„„  huT  f  """"'""''•  »™ 
in  hi»  »ars  whatever  Jy  fad  1„  l*""'''''"'  "»''  -^"''l^^^d 
"■e  world.  Night  wa7a  f  m!v  '^':''''"y«<^"'-»i™s  round 
•-v,„eda,t,™a'te,yZj^:    :;:;'•  it/"'-  "'  K"^.  «-» 

«..X  Wife  Of  Odin;  the  mo!  ef  Tno/^r ,?=  "'"  l^''^""' 
bea„t,f„I  Balder,  the  Apollo,  of  A,!ard  T.,„  T  """  °'  "" 
of  inferior  rank  to  these  and  .n.^j.  .  °"'*''  Sod"  wero 
Oreece  and  Borne.  N  ort  1  Zn  /°  ""'  """  ""'">'"-  °' 
of  Niord,  waa  the  VeZ  „fTe  w  ^""°""""''  ^'-'^S".  "'"■Slitor 
Of  A»gard,  Whose  dT  it    ',  to  "°™"'"''  ""  "«*■»»» 

■caling  byaurpriaere^rof^heTr,'','  """"'""'  «■""'« 
the  end  of  the  rainbow    hU  lil  ""'  '''^'  ''"^"  """er 

ohjeota  100  leagues  lil'    Z   T  '"  "'*•"  "«  «»"M  -i*'™ 

-  »o  «„e  --o„,d''he':r;i:rorg:*r„fr,'' ""  ^" 

the  gra„  springing  in  the  meadows  ^  """'''■  "«' 

^brdir;;:r;ntrTertr'''-^°^'»'-- 

lard  of  a  wild  boar,  which  becZl  Jt,    ^^  ""'  ^"^  "'"•  «>8 
voured  every  day  and  dranTr  n       °  °'"''  "'«'"■  "-"'Sh  de-    ' 
frou.  the  Udder  oft  tZ^Z' ZZ  "^"r"''  """^ 
to  them  by  the  Nvmoh,  »i,„T,         ""^-S"*'.  and  served  out 
were  made  of  iTulh  of  if  """'*' '''°''»'"''" -P»  which 

wearied  Of  such  enoml.ltHroTtl  Br"™  ""'^  ""' 
themselves  in  sin.>le  combat  h-,.J         ,  '""  o«reised 

noor  of  Valhalla,;l,td  thet*''''  """  °"'"'  '^  P'"''-  "»  '"o 

toeir  la,^  and  therhTdromel  ''"^"'  ""*  "'--"  "o 

Believing  fl.™,y  ^  ,^  system-,o„B.s  forward  with  ,„. 


POPULAR    HICORT    OF    IRELAND. 


6ft 


doubting   faith  to   such  an  eternity— the  Scandinavians  were 
eealous  to  serve  Uioir  gods  according  to  their  creed.    Their  rude 
hill  altars  gave  way  as  thoy  increased  in  numbers  and  wealth,  to 
spacious  temples,  at  Upsala,  Ledra,  Tronheim,  and  other  towns 
and  ports.    They  had  three  great  festivals,  one  at  the  beginning  ; 
of  February,  in  honor  of  Thor,  one  in  Spring,  in  honor  of  Odio, 
and  one  in  Summer,  in  honor  of  the  fruitful  daughter  of  Niord. 
The  ordinary  sacrifices  were  animals  and  birds ;  but,  every  ninth 
year,  there  was  a  great  festival  at  Upsala,  at  which  the  kings  and 
nobles  were  obliged  to  appear  in  person,  and  to  make  valuable 
offerings.     Wizards  and  sorcerers,  male  and  female,  haunted  the 
temples,  and  good  and  ill  winds,  length  of  hfe,  and  success  in 
war,  werp  spiritual  commodities  bought  and  sold.    Ninety-nine 
human  victims  were  offered  at  the  great  Upsala  festival,   and  in 
all  emergencies,  such  sacrifices  were  considered  most  accepuble 
to  the  gods.    Captives  and  slaves  were  at  first  selected  ;  but,  in 
mnny  cases,  princes  did  not  spare  their  subjects,  nor  fathers  their 
own  children.    The  power  of  a  Priesthood  who  could  always  en- 
force such  a  system,  must  have  been  unbounded  and  irresistible. 
The  active  pursuits  of  such  a  population  were  necessarily  ma- 
ritime.    In   their  short  summer,  such  crops  as  they  planted 
ripened  rapidly,  but  their  chief  sustenance  was  animal  food  and  the 
fish  that  abounded  in  their  waters.    The  artizans  in  highest  re- 
pute among  them  were  the  shipwrights  and  smiths.  The  hammer 
and  anvil  were  held  in  the  highest  honor ;  and  of  this  class,  the 
armorers  held  the  first  place.    The  kings  of  the  North  had  no 
standing  armies,  but  their  lieges  were  summoned  to  war  by  an 
arrow  in  Pagan  times,  and  a  cross  after  their  conversion.    Their 
chief  dependence  was  in  infantry,  which  they  formed  into  wedge- 
like columns,  and  so,  clashing  their  shields  and  "inging  hymns  to 
Odin,  they  advanced  against  their  enemies.    Different  divisions 
were  differently  armed ;  oome  with  a  short  two-edged  sword  and  a 
heavy  battle-axe;  others  with  the  sling,  the  javelin,  and  the  bow. 
The  shield  was  long  and  light,  commonly  of  wood  and  leather, 
but  for  the  chiefs,  ornamented  with  brass,  with  silver,  and  even 
with  gold.    Locking  the  shields  together  formed  a  rampart  which 
it  was  not  easy  to  break ;  in  bad  weather  the  concave  shield 
■9en\3  to  have  served  the  purpose  of  our  umbrella;  in  sea-fight* 


5G 


POPULAH    HiSTOKr   OP   IRELAND. 


' 


1  i  i 


«-"■■■*  Of  .he  „;:    ■         :7;  --  ««  creed,  again,.  ...Ueh 
from  foreign  war,  ware  c^  W  Inon  ,       "".'"*'  "'  "^'"P"™ 

»««cal  State,  and  all  whoso  wbtn°f  ^'^  r*^"""'  "'«  "Ccle- 
J«ce,  mercy,  and  forglver«s  ,vl    "I.T'''*^  ""'  ■•"''S'^  «< 
-i.c«  religion  wa,  o^:  of  Hood  ^dw        1  ""'""  "■'"  "  «- 
>-  proportion  to  the  slaughter  tl2      T  """""""^  '™  '»  be 
Northman  hated  Christian^  as  a  IT    ,■""'  ""  '"*•    ^he 
f  ""  offeminate  one.    He  was   l"t      ''""^  ^'"^  ■'"'Pked  it 
Talhalla,  and  he  felt  that  the  ofl"'  "'  °'''"'  ""'  <"«='  »! 
»a»g»mar,gods  was  the  b  ooVotr  "*'  ■"'""P'*'"  ^  "b 
«>0"-  existence  and  ezecrateTthf-  *™'', '•^'■•8i°»'  who  denied 
attack,theref„re.werealm:  tt',-*f;^,:7^«°"-     ^"^  '»■"'»  »' 
•••■xl  religion.    There,  too,  wastobe  I     .T'"  ''^'•'  "'  '™™tas 
portable  wealth  of  the  coinTy  rnclr."  '"•««  "*  «'  '"^ 
eWices,  and  shrines  of  saini'     nelT"""'  "'""-.  Jewelled 
map  of  their  campaigns  in  Ireland     a  ",•'""""'"  ""P  >'  «ie 
these  inn,.aeraMe  sabred  pteee^as  c      T  '°  ''™"»''  «'■ »™ 
'he  last  three  ce„,„ries-thaT  tlT  ObrV       "  "  '"'  «""'»  »' 
rouse  themselves  year  after  vear  b  Popu'Mion  have  to 

at  the  same  time'  To  tt  bX'r  and'S  '°  "■  """"''  »""» 
comes  a  veritable  crusade  and  Jl  ,""'"''  'he  war  be. 
heartod  defence  of  thei,  Sa    laTZnl'  °"  '"'"'  -  ™=">e- 

;ned  to  be  less  fortunate  in  tWs  rLl  T  ^  '"-  """^  "«<!- 
Conor,  Cork,  Lismore,  J^ml^C^'  .""""^  ""^  ™e"  ». 
««rprise,I,  plundered,  and  abT^™!,  1  '"*  ^™»«''-  "'^•■e  all 
are  usually  called  in  Iri  h  t  N    l'^:,"-^  «^"«'-."  «=  they 

-™<-...uch.eywer:iir;\»:r:rr 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELANP. 


67 


I 


and  Wexford,  they  seem  to  have  escaped  with  impunity.  At 
Banfjor  they  shook  the  bones  of  the  revered  founder  out  of  tha 
costly  shrine  before  carrying  it  off;  on  their  first  visit  to  Kildaro 
they  contented  themselves  with  taking  the  gold  and  silver  orna- 
meuts  of  the  tomb  of  St.  Bridget,  without  desecrating  the  relics; 
tlieir  main  attraction  at  Armagh  was  tlie  same,  but  there  the 
relics  seem  to  have  escaped.  When,  in  830,  the  brotherhood  of 
Icaa  apprehended  their  return,  they  carried  into  Ireland,  for 
greater  safety,  the  relics  of  St,  Columbkill.  Hence  it  came  that 
most  of  the  memorials  of  SS.  Patrick,  Bridget,  and  Columbkill, 
were  afterwards  united  at  Downpatrick. 

While  these  deplorable  sacrileges,  too  rapidly  executed  per- 
haps to  be  often  either  prevented  or  punished,  were  taking  place, 
Conor  the  King  had  on  his  hand  a  war  of  succedsion,  waged  by 
the  ablest  of  his  cotemporaries,  Felim,  King  of  Munster,  who 
continued  during  this  and  the  subsequent  reign  to  maintain  a 
species  of  rival  monarchy  in  the  South.  It  seers  clear  enough 
that  the  abandonment  of  Tara,  as  the  seat  of  authority,  greatly 
aggravated  the  internal  weakness  of  the  Milesian  constitution. 
Whil5  over-centrahzation  is  to  be  dreaded  as  the  worst  tendency 
of  imperial  power,  it  is  ctrtain  that  the  want  of  a  sufficient  cen- 
tralization has  proved  as  fatal,  on  the  other  hand,  to  the  independ- 
ence of  many  nations.    And  anarchical  usages  once  admitted, 
we  see  from  the  experience  of  the  German  Empire,  and  the 
Italian  republics,  how  almost  impossible  it  is  to  apply  a  remedy. 
In  tho  case  before  us,  when  the  Irish  Kings  abandoned  the  old 
mensa!  domain  and  betook  themselves  to  their  own  patrimony, 
it  was  inevitable  that  their  influence  and  authority  over  the  south- 
ern tribes  should  diminish  and  disappear.    Aileach,  in  the  far 
North,  could  never  be  to  them  what  Tara  had  been.    The  charm 
of  conservatism,  the  halo  of  ancient  glory,  could  not  be  trans- 
ferred.   Whenever,  therefore,  ambitious  and  able  Princes  a^oso 
in  the  South,  they  found  the  border  tribes  rife  for  backing  their 
pretensions  against  the  Northern  dynasty.    The  Bards,  too,  plied 
their  craft,  reviving  the  memory  of  former  times,  when  Heber  tho 
Fair  divided  Erin  equally  with  Horemon,  and  when  Eugene  More 
divided  ;  t  a  second  time  with  Con  of  the  Hundred  Battles.   Felim, 
ihe  son  of  Cruuthan,  the  contemporary  of  Conor  II    and  Nial 
iJ* 


(i:    Ml 


98 


I  ' 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


i-itate  to  confer  on  hto  Z  l^ul  J  7?  ^7'""'  '"  "»' 
«hment  for  adhering  to  the  bI°k  ,  ,      ^'"^'V'.    A3  a  pun- 
Offence,  this  Christifn    w    rir'V''"""™  "*« 
plundered  Kildare,  Burrow 'a^d  Ao  '^  """  ""'°   ""'"«»•" 
hap,  for  .idin.  „uh  Co„„a,r4t"  tS  ^7""-'"=  '""'^  ?»- 
present  county  „f  ciar,  Mo^ed  1  T     "'^ '»  ""^'her  th. 
Twice  he  met  in  conference  wfth,l      '^°"°'"'«'"  "'  ^nnater. 
Cloncurry-atanother  tme  J  °'°'""''"'  "'  ""  and  at 

held  temporary  court  ^^1        """  ""^  ''™  »'  ««»">,  and 

vicea  he  united'anrralt ..r»  r"'''  "'.  ^'"^    '''*  »«  "'» 
Danish   settlement  was    estaM,Cr°'''  '"^  """"^  "'  "■™.  "0 

Shortly  hefore  his  decease  AD  846,  h"   *°   *'"*''™   "™™- 
retired  ftom  the  world  devoli^.^,;     .     "^'^'''^  '"'  "^'o™  and 

««  penance  and  monmtlC' wtSlTr '''"'''' '''  "''  O^^' 
and  ability  „ak»  „s  re.,™  thl  t  "  °""'  »"""«»'' 

"oene,  or  .hat  hehad  not  b'een  bor,^  ',  Jt^d  "''"""'  '"'°°  ">» 
alone  were  accustomed  to  give  kin"  so  ..„"'•  '''  ""'" 

King  Conor  died  A  D  In  ,  T  "'""''  <'""'°'"7- 

Bmnamed  Nial  of  Callan  '  The  mi^,™  """^"'^  ^'  ^^  HI-. 
a.*  ™  intimately  boundunwthT'^ '''™'' °'  *'^  '»>"««» 
nextrnfer-Melaghl  n  or  LChy  r  T  '"'"""'  '="""'^  "'  *» 
fcr  the  introduction  to  the  n  «  ch^^^r      "''"'"^'  ''^™  ""■» 


CHAPTER  ir. 

Whex,  in  the  year  833  Vini  ttt 
and  hosuges.  which  ratified  hL  tul  ^71  *^"  "^^^  ^«™«g« 
invasion  had  clearly  become    L         !     ^^'^*^^'  ^^e  northed 
had  threatened  theiLiturn,o?L^^^^^^^ 
aad  provincial  had  so  encourac^ed  /h  ^"^'^«  ^*  fl^«<  Predatory 

•«<^ndgeneraUonthatthrbeZl        "^""'"^  '^^^«^«  ^^  'he 

s^ey  began  to  concert  measures  and  com- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND, 


59 


ftine  plana  for  conquest  and  colonization.  To  the  Vikings  of 
Norway  tiie  fertile  Island  with  which  they  were  now  so  familiar, 
whose  woods  were  bent  with  the  autumnal  load  of  acorns,  mast, 
and  nuts,  and  filled  with  numerous  herds  of  swine— their  favorita 
food— whose  pleasant  meadows  were  well  stored  with  beeves  and 
oxen,  whose  winter  was  often  as  mild  as  their  northern  summer, 
and  whose  waters  were  as  fruitful  in  fish  as  their  own  Lofoden 
friths;  to  these  men,  this  was  a  prize  worth  fighting  for ;  and  fot 
it  they  fought,  long  and  desperately. 

King  Nial  inherited  a  disputed  sovereignty  from  his  predeces- 
Bor  and  the  Southern  annalists  say  he  did  homage  to  Felira  of 
Munster,  while  those  of  the  North— and  with  them  the  majority 
of  historians— reject  this  statement  as  exaggerated  and  untrue. 
He  certainly  experienced  continual  difficulty  in  maintaining  his 
supremacy,  not  only  from  the  Prince  of  Cashel,  but  from  lords 
of  lesser  grade -like  those  of  Ossc»ry  and  Ulidia ;  so  that  we  may 
say,  while  he  had  the  title  of  King  of  Ireland,  he  was,  in  fact, 
Kin'cr  of  no  more  than  Leath-Con,  or  the  Northern  half.    The 
central  Province,  Meath,  long  deserted  by  the  monarchs,  had  run 
wild  into  independence,  and  was  parcelled  out  between  two  or 
three  chiefs,  descendants  of  the  same  common  ancesl,or  as  the 
kiu'Ts,  but  distinguished  from  them  by  the  tribe-name  of  "  the 
Smthern  Hy-Nial."    Of  these  heads  of  new  houses,  by  far  the 
ablest  and  most  famous  was  Melaghlin,  who  dwelt  near  Mulhn- 
gar  and  lorded  it  over  western  Meath;  a  name  with  which  we 
shall  become  better  acquainted  presently.    It  does  not  clearly 
appear  that  Melaghlin  was  one  of  those  who  actively  resisted  the 
prerogatives  of  tiiis  monarch,  though  others  of  the  Southern  Hy- 
Nial  did  at  first  reject  his  authority,  and  were  severely  punished 
for  their  insubordination,  the  year  after  his  assumption  of  power. 
In  the  fourth  year  of  Nial  Hi.  (A.  D.  837),  arrived  the  great  Nor- 
wet^ian  fleet  of  120  sail,  whose  commanders  first  attempted,  on  a 
combined  plan,  the  conquest  of  Erin.    Sixty  of  the  ships  entered 
the  Boyne;  the  other  sixty  the  Liffey.    This  formidable  force, 
according  to  all  Irish  accounts,  was  soon  after  united  under  one 
leader,  who  is  known  in  our  Annals  as  Turgeis  or  Turgesius, 
but  of  whom  no  trace  can  be  found,  under  tiiat  name,  in  the 
chronicles  of  the  Northmen.    Every  effort  to  idertify  him  in  the 


:     I 


60 


"""'■'^   ™8T0,r   OP  ,H,,^^„. 


n^'tivo  land,  p«,eLd  2    "I "  ,    r'""  "^o^^luencs,  „„  ^ 

"  ca,^  >vhich  come  iireoUyZTZ-""'  *<""*"  J»3ti,a. 
W,'e  defeat.,  i,,„Uy  as  theTckto  !"  "°"'^''' «"J"'okno>v. 
Pra»  ,„ay  b.  given  to  ,he  W  h  aLZ  T     '  '"'"""'■    '"""'I 
e'ents.  whether  at  S„t  or  .ecoM Cd  1 '"  T*""«  *"  «=»« 
Pa.sns  and  „ay  of  rurge^iuTth,  d^    ,."^'"""""'  "«'«""- 
»oparat,„g  what  is  trae  fm™  it  it  '^  ''"  "^I'^rience  in 

--tea  for  us  Uy  the  anna.I;   "Jt'^r^"  ""'".-not 
Wl«,some„f  >vho,ei„ve„tiont'a^ol^^  k'  """•"'  »""  'tery- 
l«3n  t,«  readily  received  byTnhr'^        "^  0>»i«»».-.,  ha« 
-»  of  national  i™po,^„,,''^,;*'^-"' -iters.    For  al.  th,     - 
*W7  associated,  we  prefer  to  foCt  '  "  "™'  «"»  >«  intel- 
the  same  sober  historians  who  condl     1      '^  '"  '"'"'■■  <"^'>s, 

s:rr-'---~:rr:~tird 

;""  °;»  "f  ">e  expeditions  on,  eytrs;°  '  °°'"°  '=  "•»'»>"' 
hun  as  having  been  "  the  scon  "1 0^.  '  '""^  """'  ^Po""  "f 
years,"  before  he  assumed  Z  f  .  ""'""■y  <■»■■  »«entecn 

f'^n  the  fleet  of  88/.  ^  ^^  T  ."'  ""»  ''<«■««  '»d^d 

accurate  knowledge  of  uJcZZZ.        f  '^  '""'^  *»'  "» 
ous  warfare  with  its  inhabitatl  '     '"/"^  ""^  J'™'^  "t  previ- 
g'-ounds  upon  which  the  chtf         ''  """'  "^^  »»«  «'  'he 
.  Turgesius.    This  knowlete  „!        '"'"'""'  '™    """f'^red   ^ 

«astakenpossession„f,a7dXn°T  f"'  '°  '■°°""°''  J**'- 
*navian  „,ethod,  was  ejected  *  fhern  'T""-"  "^  "■»8«=»- 
Ca«le.    This  fort  and  the  harb""  hi     'i  ■""■""  ""  **  "=e 
.t^™"'  "-"l  agonal  for  all  fut„"  „'"*  "  ""'^  <^  b"  "'e  ren. 
the  foundation  of  foreign  'l°r,rT°""«^'"''W,,,ter,  and 
hands,  With  two  or  thre'e  brW   „?'"    "'"'  "°""""<"1  '"  'o«--"» 
Ans'o-.Vonnan  chivalry,  threec^lrf*'  "r"'  '™™f'"''^  '"  '» 
Moment  was  made  al  WateXdTd  !»  •^'^'''"'^^-    «"»"" 

•  '^'^  »  ""'•'1  »"«  aMerapted  al 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF  IRELAND. 


01 


LiinericTc,  but  at  this  period  without  success;  the  Danish  iort  at 
the  latter  point  is  not  thought  older  than  the  year  855.     But 
Turgesiu3 — if,  indeed,  the  independent  acw  of  cotemporary  and 
even   rival  chiefs  be  not  too  often  attributed  to  him — was  not 
content  with  fortifying  the  estuaries  of  some  principal  rivers ;  h» 
establi  iied  inland  centres  of  operation,  of  which  the  cardinal  one 
was  on  Lough  Ree,  the  expansion  of  the  Shannon,  north  of  P  h- 
lone;  another  was  at  a  point  called  Lyndwachill,   on   Lough 
Neagh,     On  both  these  waters  were  stationed  fleets  of  boats, 
constructed  for  that  service,  and.  concmunicating  with  the  forta  on 
shore.    On  the  eastern  border  of  Lough  Ree,  in  the  midst  of  its 
meadows,  stood  Clonmacnoise,  rich  with  the  ofiferings  and  endow- 
ments of  successive  generations.    Here,  three  centuries  before, 
in  the  heart  of  the  desert,  St.  Kieraa  had  erected  with  his  own 
hands  a  rude  sylvan  cell,  where,  according  to  the  allegory  of  tra- 
dition, "  the  first  monks  who  joined  him,"  were  thei  fox,  the  wolf, 
and  the  bear ;  but  time  had  wrought  wonders  on  that  hallowed 
ground,  and  a  group  of  churches — at  one  time,  as  many  as  tan  in 
number — were  gathered  v/ithin  two  or  three  acres,  round  its  fam- 
ous schools,  and  presiding  Cathedral.     Here  it  was  Turgesius 
made  his  usual  home,  and  from  the  high  alLar  of  the  Cathedral 
his  unbelieving  Queen  was  accustomed  to  issue  her  imperious 
mandates  in  his  absence.    Here,  for  nearly  seven  years,  this  con- 
queror and  his  consort,  exercised  their  far-spread  and  terrible 
power.    According  to  the  custom  of  their  own  country — ^a  custom 
attributed  to  Odin  as  its  author  —  they  exacted  from  every 
inhabitant  subject  to  their  sway — a  piece  of  money  annually, 
the  forfeit  for  the  non-payment   of   which  was  the    loss   of 
the  nose,   hence    called    "  nose-money."      Their    other    exac- 
tions were  a  union  of  t'leir  own  northern  imposts,  with  those 
levied  by  the  chiefs  whose  authority  they  had  superseded,  but 
whose  prerogatives  they  asserted  for  themselves.    Free  quar- 
ters for  their  soldiery,  and  a  system  of  inspection  extending  to 
every  private  relation  of  life,  were  the  natural  expedients  of  a 
tyranny  sc  '^dious.     On  the  ecclesiastical  order  especially  their 
yoke  bo  ,  \  :!,  peculiar  weight,  since,  although  avowed  Pagans, 
tiiey  pf  mivL'  1  no  religious  house  to  stand,  unless   under  an 
Abbot,  Oi'  at  least  an  Erewih  (or  Treasurer)  of  their  approval. 
6 


f   I 


4to 


>m    lilf 
.'jii    m 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


oontre  of  the  Wand  over  ZmlZ  ""j"'"-"'"'  "P'^"''  fr™  *, 
Olon,.a,„„«h,  Fern,  cILdsII  a.d^Knr''''"^*'^'"''- 
lismore,  Cork,   Clonfert    in   thT      !?  ""  "   "■«  =■•«'; 

thfa  triumph^,    dlot   of.,"  T  "°*i  »"  S^-ed  under 

Ule  first  lew  years  after  Si!?  1    T       ,        ""' '"'« <>'  '""""^s  «>' 
hosts  from  the  Li^  and  tSs    "*"'''"""  "'"'■    ^""J"'"' 
Maath,  and  in  an  en^^t    ttlTZS  1"  '*  ^'™'  »' 
gave  such  a  complete  defeat  to  (3       ,u    ^       •"'*'"'"'  ^"'''y) 
prevented  them  matins  he^a!v  ^    "°  "^-^'"'  "'"^  « 

«>»"  wer.  past  and  goie     rfth-""  '"^  """'•■■»'"  ^™o  sun,. 

<■"-•«,  if  to  a.y  comlrrrchlefTufr-^  and  to  him,  there- 
oaaJei  The  sho.,,.  of  all  he  ,„,,  ^Tf  """'  ""^  *""=- 
for  Baths  and  Chnrches  and  *"  J"'""  V"™  """  f"™'"*  «"o» 
Erne  shared  tl.e  fl  ;;^dl  whtehT'  T"""'^  "'•"'""»  "-""Sh 
lough  Neagh.    In  839  th?  „,"'''*  ^  ^""S'"  «•''' '''>'»     ' 

.^areat  0.-1  to  t,:tt:::nc"  ^  ,^:r:?i;r.'r.""r^ « 

vjous  campaiaii  •   buf  mnr^      ^    /  ^^^®^^^^  ^^  the  pre- 

'osc  their  Lde;  a'nd  TZ  'Z^T^^^  S=  f  «"»-■  '^^^r 
and  Cork  v-ere  given  to  the  flame  and  the  fi  .  ^  ""■  '''"™ 
or  JMagheraiin,    poured    „„,  T  ^ "' ^y"'*'™!""- 

over  the  ^^J^ntZZyZUlZTu  \  T'  ''''^=«™ 
"«,   laymen  and   ecclesh,Z  .f         '' '""''^'' ""'»  P"™"- 

depredatorsco.nt.damr  r     "  ""'"■      '""'  "°'-*»™ 

learned  men,"  „f  ^I,™  Z  An  TT"'  """'"■»'  "'*<>'«  »"d 
«a'tr,m  are  mentio^X  name  Thl  """".r  """  ""'  ^"^^  •" 
Of  Dublin  and  Waterford  took  c  ptive  A  ■"!«»  7  active  colleagues 
and  Poranan,  Archbishon  ^f  ?  /  °''' '^'*°'' "'Clonenagh, 
with  many  of  the  rlt?„f  ,f  T/"'  ""''  """  ""''  »""'«°1 
from  one  danger  „nTv  to    J!    ''""Po'itan  Church,  escaping 

These  prison,;  „e^ 'carried"'   "V't"  '  ""'°  '"«"-  "« 

~  -.MO.  at  t^s  :i"rr;:;-- x^ 


:i!i 


POPDl-AR    history    of   IRELAND. 


6H 


being  carried  to  their  fleet  at  Limerick,  sterna  to  have  been 
rescued  or  ransomed,  as  we  find  nira  dying  \i)  peace  at  Armagh 
m  the  next  reign.  The  martyrs  of  these  meh^ucholy  times  were 
very  numerous,  but  the  exact  particulars  being  so  often  unre-  * 
corded  it  is  impossible  to  present  the  reader  with  an  intelligible 
account  of  their  persons  and  sufferings.  When  the  Anglo-Nor- 
mans taunted  the  Irish  that  their  Church  had  no  mr  tyrs  to  boast 
of,  they  must  have  forgotten  the  exploits  of  their  Norse  kinsmen 
about  the  middle  of  this  century. 

But  the  hour  of  retribution  was  fast  coming  round,  and  the  na- 
tive tribes,  unbound,  divided,  confused,  and  long  unused  to  foreign 
war,  were  fast  recovering  their  old  martial  experience,  and  some- 
thing like  a  politic  sense  of  the  folly  of  their  border  feuds. 
Nothing  perhaps  so  much  tended  to  arouse  and  combine  them 
together  as  the  capture  of  the  successor  of  Saint  Patrick,  with  all 
his  relics,and  his  imprisonment  among  a  Pagan  host,  in  Irish 
waters.    National  humiliation  could  not  much  farther  go,  and  as 
we  read  we  pause,  prepared  for  either  alternative— mute  submis- 
sion or  a  brave  uprising.    King  Nial  seems  to  have  been  in  this 
memorable  year,  843,  defending  as  well  as  he  might  his  ances- 
tral province— Ulster— against  the  ravagers  of  Lough  Neagh,  and 
Btill  another  party  whose  ships  flocked  into  Lough  Swilly.    In 
the  ancient  plain  of  Moynith,  watered  by  the  little  river  Finn, 
(the  present  barony  of  Raphoe,)  he  encountered  the  enemy,  and 
according  to  the  Annals,  "  a  countless  number  fell"— victory 
being  with  Nial.    In  the  same  year,  or  the  next,  Turgesius  was 
captured  by  ftlelaghlin,  Lord  of  Westmeath,  apparently  by  stra- 
tagem, and  put  to  death  by  the  tuther  novel  process  of  drowning. 
The  Bardic  tale  told  t>  Camhrcnsis,  or  parodied  by  him  from  an 
old  Greek  legend,  of  the  death  by  which  Turgesius  died,  is  of  no 
historical  authority.    According  to  this  tale,  the  tyrant  of  Lough 
Ree  conceived  a  passion  for  the  fair  daughter  of  Melaghlin,  and 
demanded  her  of  her  father,  who,  fearing  to  refuse,  aflected  to 
grant  the  infamous  request,  but  despatched  in  her  stead,  to  the 
place  of  assignation,  twelve  beardless  youths,  habited  as  maidens, 
to  represent  his  daughter  and  her  attendants  ;  by  these  maskers 
the  Norwegian  and  his  boon  companions  were  assassinated,  after 
ttiey  had  drank  to  excess  and  laid  aside  their  arms  and  armoR 


64 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


For  all  this  superstructure  of  romance  t h«r.  •        •  . 

'Tork  nor  license  in  the  fact,  fh        ,  "  °^'*^®'*  ^'O""* 

gesius  was  evidentircal^'^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^is,  tbu  Tur- 

hear  of  no  battle  in  Lath  oi-""'  "'"""  "'""'"''"'■    ^« 

preceding  the  event    ro    is  it  7,    I^  '"'"^'  "'""^  in.rnediately 

Melaghhn  then  .l;  co:  d  h  ^h^^^^^^^^  f^^-^  ^^i-.  « 

he  powerful  master  of  Lou^h  Ree     ut     ^  T^^™«"*  ^'^^ 

Westmeath  mav  be  tr.,.f  J'k     \      ^^  ^''''^^  traditions  of 

Norwegian  aTd^I^tc  pat^  ^^T'T  ^^  ^^^■-^^'^'  «- 
were  on  visiting  terms  iust  hi  1  J""^'"^^  ^^  ^°"^^  0^«1 
curious  particufarsl^^Spttlt^^^^^^^^  -d  many 

uaed  to  be  related  by  the  modern  storv^^"  """  intercourse 

The  anecdote  of  the  roowl"    l-^l^I""'  ^'^""^  Castlepollard. 
the  remedy  fo  ^ '7^;';  "'  ""fT'  ^^"P^^^"^^'  ^^ 

thetreesani  the  rooL  wou  f^''''^ '^  ^e  "tocutdown 

"  ^n  poppies'.  Of  th  ;  ;t^  a;i  olf  T"'T  ^°°^  ^^  *^« 
only  do  we  know  for  certaTn  abl ..  ?  ^'"'"^  '  ^^^  ^'^'^g" 
gesius  was  token  and  drowned  k™'"''  •'  -^"^^2^'  ^'^^^  ^ur- 

tht     /essels  had  oniioot^  *    ,       towards  Sligo,  where  some  of 

southward  Inror ''^Jl  "'  17"'  ""."'^  '"''^  """«'  '""^ 
Nialmovin.upfromm,^^  mmediately  „e  fl„d  King 

.hatdi.Horh::rh*er;:reCrr""r"=""°-  '- 

7*,  or  common  servant.    Tho  rivlfl    ?air\       "^  "'  " 

-vollo„,the  ^.7fa,  in  attempts  '  to  flnLfrM  "'  ^"""'^ 

i«  ite  turbid  torrent      iL   Kf„„       ,     '5  ™'  "°P'  ^"V 
to  his  -osouo  h„7!r  "^  entreated  some  one  to  go 

himself  a^dTacr  a  e"hs«:\^''°'  T  '™°™"''^  ^""'^'''■"' 


fOi'ULAR    HISTOUT    OF    lUELAKD. 


05 


Bards  have  celebrated  the  justice  of  his  judgments,  the  goodiiesi 
of  his  heart,  and  the  comeliness  of  his  "  brunette-bright  face." 
He  left  a  son  of  age  to  succeed  him,  (and  who  ultimately  did  be- 
come Ard-Righ,)  yet  the  present  popularity  of  Melaghlin  of 
Meath  triumphed  over  every  other  interest,  and  he  was  raised  to 
the  monarchy — the  first  of  his  family  who  had  yet  attained  that 
honor.  Hugh,  the  §on  of  Nial,  sank  for  a  time  into  the  rank  of 
a  Provincial  Prince,  before  the  ascendant  star  of  the  captor  ct 
Turgesius,  and  is  usually  spoken  of  during  this  reign  as  "  Hu^a 
of  Aileach."  He  is  found  towai  .s  its  close,  as  if  impatient  of  the 
succession,  employing  the  arms  of  the  common  enemy  to  ravage 
the  ancient  mensal  land  of  the  kings  of  Erin,  and  otherwise  har- 
assing the  last  days  of  his  successful  rival. 

Melaghlin,  or  Malachy  I.  (sometimes  called  "  of  the  Shannon," 
from  his  patrimony  along  that  river),  brought  back  again  the  so- 
vereignty  to  the  centre,  and  in  happier  days  might  have  become 
the  second  founder  of  Tara.    But  it  was  plain  enough  then,  and 
it  is  tolerably  so  still,  that  this  was  not  to  be  an  age  of  restora- 
tion.   The  kings  of  Ireland  after  this  time,  says  the  quaint  old 
translator  of  the  Annals  of  Clonmacnoise,  "  had  little  good  of  it," 
down  to  the  days  of  King  Brian.    It  was,  in  fact,  a  y  .r petual 
struggle  for  self-preservation— the  first  duty  of  all  go-  ernments, 
as  well  as  the  first  law  of  all  nature.    The  powerful  uction  of  the 
Gentile  forces,  upon  an  originally  ill-centralized  and  recently 
much  abused  Constitution,   seemed  to  render  it  possible  that 
every  new  Ard-Righ  would  prove  the  last.    Under  the  pressure 
of  such  a  deluge  all  ancient  institutions  were  shaken  to  their 
foundations ;  and  the  venerable  authority  of  Religion  itself,  like  a 
Hermit  in  a  mountain  torrent,  was  contending  for  the  hope  of 
escape  or  extstence.    "We  must  not,  therefore,  amid  the  din  of 
the  conflicts  through  which  we  are  to  pass,  condemn  without 
stint  or  qualification  those  Princes  who  were  occasionally  driven 
—as  some  of  them  were  driven—  to  that  last  resort,  the  employ- 
ment of  foreign  mercenaries,  (and  those  mercenaries  often  anti* 
Christians,)  to  preserve  some  show  of  native  government  and 
kingly  authority.    Grant  that  in  some  of  them  the  use  of  such 
allies  and  agents  cannot  be  justified  on  any  plea  or  pretext  of 
State  necessity  \  where  base  ends  or  unpatriotic  motives  are  clear 


66 


FOPL-LAR    HWTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


motivos  in  all  case    „r    J       T  "!"^'"  "'"'  ""'^  """=  «■- 

of  the  men  of  Norway  to  JZ7      '  ""' '"  ">'  """f" 

■.early  being  their  „™  it  ?nV  "  '"'r  ""'"''  ™»  ""^  «» 
those  who  rUto  d  "thin  !  r^'"™'  ""»  '«■?•".  -  »«"  ». 
Dublin,  urged  t  rat«r'  „„.'/'  °  "T""  °''  ''''"'"•'->'•'•  «" 
Slaughtered  countrymen  and  Ir  r^!*"™^'  '^  ''™S<'  ">"" 
.till  followed  on  defe"  ta  thlTT  "^  '=°"''"™'-  ="'  "<"■-' 
1,200  men  in  a  dtLta'u,  .!,  ''''"'  °'  *"""='')'•  '""y  '»« 

bar  the  Prince^wZ  70"'!  ."„T  .^t ''™"''  "'*  "'- 
.eason,  they  were  deLted  with  the  iIVtoV'""  T  .""  """ 
«t  Pore,  in  Meath.    In  the  third  yet  of  MatTT'   [  *''''''=''^' 
new  Northern  expedition  arriyedTn^r       ^  "''^'  "x""™"-'  » 
to  the  ayerage  ca^oi^of        lo  ^  "  pITl^^         «-"^"« 
carried  with  them  from  7 000  to  mmT        „    °^°'  "™'  """^ 
'"sailed,  thi,  fleet  wa/rmpld  7wb„";  ,f  "^-^'^'^ '»' the 
Gentiles,  or  Dane,,  as  distin?uleVLm  L  '!'  f""  *"'*- 
Jfa.V-Gentiles,  or  Norwesiin,       A  Predecessors,  the 

iventurersof  the  twTIS;  ,f  JTb?'  »--.  between  the 
remaining  fortresses,  especiaHy  of  dI  fn  C""  °'  '"^  '"' 
was  fought  along  the  Liky  which  "i.  i  T  °°  ^S-'Sement 
Banes  finally  preyailed  Sn:  «  e  No  2.  V"""  ""^^  ■"  *» 
hold,  and  cutting  them  off  ™m  hi  ZfT"  "'*""''"°- 
leaders  are  named  Aniaf  or  Olaf  wT.a  "''"  "'"'"""■» 
the  first  of  the  Danish  c\  ^*''"'''  '^  '"'"  I™! 

I.u«„,  WaterfordX^m'e rici  Ze2Ti,:::Tlr  " 

«.e».  to  rally  iZ'':T72Z'V:Tk"'' '"'''''' 

^.  Which  therL";!!  s?! ;  rr,  --  :7  "- 

-:«r  ruTrut  in:..:  r-  ^" ' "— - 

tae  ruma  of  the^i-  predecessors  fa  Dublin,  than  th« 


P0PULA9   HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


m 


Danish  forces  entered  East-Meath,  under  the  guidance  of 
Kenneth,  a  local  lord,  and  overran  the  ancient  raensal,  from  the 
sea  to  the  Shannon.  One  of  their  first  exploits  was  burning 
alive  260  prisoners  in  the  tower  of  Treoit.  in  the  island  of  Lough 
Oower,  near  DurHhausfhlin.  The  next  year,  his  allies  having 
withdrawn  from  the  neighborhood,  Kenneth  was  taken  by  King 
Malachy's  men,  and  the  traitor  himsolf  drowned  in  a  sack,  in  the 
little  river  Nanny,  which  divides  the  two  baronies  of  Duleok. 
This  ath -penalty  by  drowning  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the 
useful  hints  which  the  Irish  pickel  up  from  their  invaders. 

During  the  remainder  of  this  reign  the  Gentile  war  resumed 
much  of  its  olil  local  and  guerrilla  character,  the  Provincial 
chiefs,  and  the  Ard-Righ,  occasionally  employing  bands  of  one 
nation  of  the  inva^    s  to  combat  the  other,  and  even  to  suppress 
their  native  rivals.    The  only  pitched  battle  of  which  we  hear 
is  that  of  "  the  Two  Plains"  (near  Coole^town,  King's  County),  in 
the  second  last  year  of  Malachy  (A.  D.  859),  in  which  his  usual 
good  fortune  attended  the  king.    The  greater  part  of  his  reign 
was  occupied,  as  always  must  be  the  case  with  the  founder  of  a 
new  line,  in  coercing  into  obedience  his  former  peers.    On  this 
business  he  made  two  expeditions  into  Munster,  and  took  hostages 
from  all  the  tribes  of  the  Eugenian  race.    With  the  same  object 
he  held  a  conference   with  all  the  chiefs  of  Ulster,  Hugh  oi 
Aileach  only  being  ab.su  it,  at  Armagh,  in  the  fourth  year  of  his 
reign,  and  a  General  Feis,  or  Assembly  of  all  the  Orders  of  Ire- 
land, at  Rathugh,  in  West-M  .ath,  in  his  thirteenth  year  (A.  D. 
857).    He  found,  notwithstanding   his  victories  and  his  early 
popularity,  that  there  are  always  those  ready  to  turn  from  the 
setting  to  the  rising  sun,  and  towards  the  end  of  his  reign  he 
was  obliged  to  defend  his  camp,  near  Armagh,  by  force,  from  a 
night  assault  of  the  discontented  Prince  of  Aileach  ;  who  also  rav. 
aged  his  patrimony,  almost  at  the  moment  he  lay  on  his  death- 
bed.   Malachy  I.  departed  this  life  on  the  13th  day  of  November, 
A.  D.  830,  having  reigned  sixteen  years.    "  Mournful  is  the  news 
to  the  Gaol !"  exclaims  the  elegiac  Bard!     "  Red  wine  is  spilled 
into  the  valley !    Erin's  monarch  has  died !"    And  the  lament 
contrasts  his  stately  form  as  "  he  rode  the  white  stallion,"  with 
the  striking  reverse  when,  "his  only  horse  this  day" — that  ia 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


1.0    !?ri-  !IM 
==  ,r  1112  „« 


I.I 


1.25 


•ill 


M 


"  lis     M 


LA.  Ill  1.6 


.  rnc 
Scimces 
CorporatJon 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  B72-4503 


i7 


►5 


68 


POPULAR    HI6T0Rr   OP   IRELAND. 


the  bier  on  Which  his  body  was  borne  to  the  churchyard-"  i. 
drawn  behind  two  oxen."  ^"j'aru       u 

The  restless  Prince  of  Aileach  now  succeeded  as  Huc^h  VII 
and  possessed  th^  perilous  honor,  he  so  much  coveted,  for"sixtee„ 
yean,  the  same  span  that  had  been  allotted  to  his  predeceto " 
ihe  begmnmg  o   this  reign  was  remarkable  for  the  novel  design 
of  the  Danes,  who  -narched  out  in  gr^at  force,  and  set  thera- 
selves  busily  to  breaking  open  the  ancient  mouudsin  the  cemete"y 
of  the  Pagan  kmgs.  beside  the  Boyne,  in  hope  of  flndin-  buried 
treasure.    The  three  Earls,  Olaf,  Sitrick,  and  Ivar  are'saTd  to 
have  been  present,  while  their  gold-hunters  broke  into  in  succes- 
8u>n  the  mound-covered  cave  of  tho  wife  of  Goban,  at  Dro-heda 

hi  Zl    f  ",?;.^'^^P^-^  ^'  ^>-->"  at  Dowth,  the  ca^ve  of' 
the  flehi  of  Aldat.  at  New  Grange,  and  the  similar  cave  at 

Jwa^Aais  not  related ;  but  Roman  coins  of  Valentinian  and  Theo. 
dosms,  and  torques  and  armlets  of  gold,  have  been  discovered  by 
accident  within  their  precincts,  and    an  enlightened  modern 

=:Lt  rr"" '-'-  ^" '-'''  - ''' '-'- — ^^ 

In  the  first  two  years  of  his  reign,  Hugh  VII.  was  occupied  in 
secunng  the  hostages  of  his  suffragans ;  in  the  third  he  swept  the 
remaming  Danish  and  Norwegian  garrisons  out  of  Ulster,  and 
defeated  a  newly  arrived  force  on  the  borders  of  Louah  Foyle  • 
the  next  the  Danish  Earls  went  on  a  foray  into  Scotland,  and  no 
exploit  IS  to  be  recorded;  in  his  sixth  year,  Hugh,  with  1,000 
chosen  men  of  his  own  tribe  and  the  aid  of  the  Sil-Murray 
(O  Conor  s)  of  Connaught,  attacked  and  defeated  a  force  of  5  000 
Danes  with  their  Leinster  allies,  near  Dublin,  at  a  place  supposed 
to  be  Identical  with  Killaderry.    Earl  Olaf  lost  his  son,  and  Erin 
her  Roydamna,  or  heir-apparent  on  this  field,  which  was  much 
celebrated  by  the  Bards  of  Ulster  and  of  Connaught.    Amongst 
those  who  fell  was  Flan,  son  of  Conaing,  chief  of  the  di.tdct 
which  mcluded  the  plundered  cemeteries,  fighting  on  the  side  of 
the  plunderers.     The  mother  of  Flan  was  one  of  those  who  com- 
posed  quatrians  on  the  event  of  the  battle,  and  her  lino  ^  are  a 
natural  and  affecting  alternation  from  joy  to  griefHoy  for  the 
tnumph  of  her  brother  and  her  country,  and  grief  for  the  loss  of 


mmmm 


rOPULiU   HISTORy    OF   IKELABD.  69 

T.  r'?""^'  ""'*»  '<""•  ™»f'  ""»  """i'h  leader,  avenged  la 
the  next  earapa,gn  the  los,  of  hi,  ,on,  by  a  successful  deec;nt  on 
Armagh,  once  agam  rising  from  its  ruins.    He  put  to  the  sword 

desolate.    In  the  next  ensuing  year  the  monarch  chastised  the 

.rr/      n  t.  ■""  "''""■  "^'«"i"g'M'  tenitory  with  are  and 
.word  from  Dublin  to  the  border  town  of  Qowran.    This  seems  to 

the  20th  of  November,  876,  and  is  lamented  by  the  Barts  as  "  . 

t,rZr  °(  *'"'"='""•(»*  »™-»4  like  his  father  "of 
p™,r  r  °    '■  """"^"^  '"  '"^  ^'^  «".  °'  «"-  Annals  of  th, 

era.    He  enjoyed  the  very  unusual  reign  of  thirty-eight  years 
Some  of  the  domestic  events  of  his  time  are  of  so  unprlLenrd 

must  devote  to  it  a  separate  chapter. 

■»■         ■ 


CHAPTER  III. 

BBION  OF  PLAN  "  OP  THE  SflAN«OX"  (a.  D.  879  TO  916). 

MIDV.AY  in  the  reign  we  are  called  upon  to  contemplate,  falls 

Let  us  admit  that  the  scenes  of  that  century  are  stirrine  and 
stimulating ;  two  gallant  races  of  men  in  all  nnint! T  f 
contrasted,  contend  for  the  most  part  ^  tl ^^LV tf  ^ 
possession  of  a  beautiful  and  fertile  island.  Let  us  adm  rthi! 
^e  Milesian-Irish,  themselves  invaders  and  corner 'f  ft 
older  date  may  have  had  no  right  to  declare  the  era  of  coloLa! 
tjon  closed  for  their  countiy,  while  its  best  harbors  were  withou 

that  th.  ff  I  '""''''  '"^  '"'*y  «"^  ^^^'-f"!  interest   is 

that  the  fomgners  who  come  so  fai-  and  fight  so  bravelv  for  ti^ 
prize,  are  a  Pagan  people,  drunk  with  the  evil  spirit  of  oL  ^    ,^ 


70 


POPULAR    HI8T0RI    OP    IRELAND. 


u 


most  anti -Christian  forms  of  human  error.  And  Mhat  is  still 
worse,  and  still  more  to  be  lamented,  it  is  becoming,  after  the 
experience  of  a  century,  plainer  and  plainer,  that  the  Christian 
natives,  while  defending  with  unfaltering  courage  their  beloved 
country,  are  yet  descending  more  and  more  to  the  moral  level 
of  their  assailants,  without  the  apology  of  their  Paganism 
Degenerate  civilization  may  be  a  worse  element  for  truth  to  work 
in  than  original  barbarism ;  aad  therefore,  as  we  enter  on  the  se- 
cond century  of  this  struggle,  we  begin  to  fear  for  the  Christian 
Irish,  not  from  the  arms  or  the  valor,  but  from  the  contact  and 
example,  of  the  unbelievers.  This  it  is  necessary  to  premise, 
before  presenting  to  the  reader  a  succession  of  Bishops  who  lead 
armies  to  battle,  of  Abbots  whose  voice  is  still  for  war,  of  treach- 
erous tactics  and  savage  punishments;  of  the  almost  total  disrup- 
tion of  the  last  links  of  that  federal  bond,  which,  "  though  light 
as  air  were  strong  as  iron,"  before  the  charm  of  inviolabiUty  had 
been  taken  away  from  the  ancient  constitution. 

We  begin  to  discern  in  this  reign  that  royal  marriages  have 
much  to  do  with  war  and  politics.    Hugh,  the  late  king,  left  a 
widow,  named  Maelmara  ("  follower,  of  Mary"),  daughter  to  Ken- 
neth McAlpine,  King  of  the  Caledonian  Scots:  this  lady.  Flan 
married.     The  mother  of  Flan  was  the  daughter  of  Dungal, 
Prince  of  Ossory,  so  that  to  the  cotemporary  lords  of  that  bor- 
der-land the  monarch  stood  in  the  relation  of  cousin.     A  compact 
seems  to  have  been  entered  into  in  the  past  reign,  that  the  Roij- 
damna,  or  successor,  should  be  chosen  alternately  from  the  North- 
ern and  Southern  Hy-Nial ;  and  subsequently,  when  Nial,  son  of 
his  predecessor,  assumed  that  onerous  rank,  Flan  gave  him  his 
daughter  Gormley,  celebrated  for  her  beauty,  her  talents,  and  her 
heartlessness,  in  marriage.    From  these  several  family  ties,  unit- 
ing him  so  closely  with  Ossory,  with  the  Scots,  and  with  his  succes- 
sor, much  of  the  wars  and  politics  of  Flan  Siona's  reign  take  their 
cast  and  complexion.    A  still  more  fruitful  source  of  new  compli- 
cations was  the  coequal  power,  acquired  through  a  long  series  of 
aggressions,  by  the  kings  of  Cashel.    Their  rivalry  with   the 
monarchy,  from  the  beginning  of  the  eighth  till  the  end  of  the 
tenth  century,  was  a  constant  cause  of  intrigues,  coalitions,  and 
•rare,  reminding  us  of  the  constant  rivalry  of  Athens  with  Sparta, 


ims 


mmmmmmmmm 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


71 


of  Genoa  with  Venice.     This  kingship  of  Cashel,  according  to 
the  Munster  law  of  succession,  "  the  will  of  Olild"  ought  to  have 
alternated  regularly  between  the  descendants  of  his  sons.  Eugene 
More  and  Corraac  Caa— the  Eugenians  and  Dalcassians.    But'  the 
families  of  the  former  kindred  were  for  many  centuries  the  moro 
powerful  of  the  two,  and  frequently  set  at  nought  the  testamen- 
tary  law  of  their  common  ancestor,  leaving  the  tribe  of  Cas  bus 
the  border-land  of  Thomond,  from  which  they  had  sometimes 
to  pay  tribute  to  Cruachan,  and  at  others  to  Cashel.    In  the  ninth 
century  the  competition  among  the  Eugenian  houses— of  which 
too  many  were  of  too  nearly  equal  strength— seems  to  have  sug- 
gested a  new  expedient,  with  the  view  of  permanently  settings 
aside  the  will  of  Olild.    This  was,  to  confer  the  kinship  when 
vacant,  on  whoever  happened  to  be  Bishop  of  Bmly  or  of  Cashel, 
or  on  some  other  leading  ecclesiastical  dignitary,  always  prol 
vided  that  he  was  of  Eugenian  descent ;  a  qualification  easily  to  be 
met  with,  since  the  great  sees  and  abbacies  were  jiow  filled,  for 
the  most  part,  by  the  sons  of  the  neighboring  chiefs.    In  'this 
way  we  find  Cenfalad,  f^elira,  and  Olcobar,  m  this  century,  styled 
Prince-Bishops  or  Prince-Abbots.    The  principal  domestic  diffi- 
culty of  Flan  Slona's  reign  followed  from  the  elevation  of  Cor- 
mac,  son  of  Cuillenan,  from  the  see  of  Emly  to  the  throne  of 
Cashel. 

Corraac,  a  scholar,  and,  as  became  his  calling,  a  man  of  peace, 
was  thus,  by  virtue  of  his  accession,  the  representative  of  the  old 
quarrel  between  his  predecessors  and  the  dominant  race  of  kings. 
All  Munster  asserted  that  it  was  never  the  intention  of  their  com- 
mon ancestors  to  subject  the  southern  half  of  Erin  to  the  sway  of 
the  north ;  that  Eber  and  Owen  More  had  resisted  such  preten- 
sions when  advanced  by  Eremhon  and  Conn  of  the  Hundred 
Battles  ;  that  the  esker  frem  Dublin  to  Galway  was  the  true  divi- 
sion, and  that,  even  admitting  the  title  of  the  Hy-Nial  king  as 
Ard-Righ,  all  the  tribes  south  of  the  esker,  whether  in  Leinster 
or  Connaught,  still  owed  tribute  by  ancient  right  to  Cashel. 
Their  antiquaries  had  tlieir  own  version  of  "  the  Book  of  Rights,"* 
which  countenaaceJ  those  claims  to  coequal  dominion,  and  the'i? 
Bards  drew  inspiration  from  tlie  same  high  pretensions.  Parly 
spirit  ran  so  high  that  tales  and  i)ropliocies  were  invented  to  show 


7a 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


how  St.  Patrick  had  laid  his  curse  on  Tara,  and  promised  dominion 
to  Cashel  and  to  Dublin  in  its  stead.  All  Leinster,  except  the 
lordship  of  Ossory— identical  with  the  present  diocese  of  the  same 
name— was  held  by  the  Brehons  of  Cashel  to  be  tributary  to  their 
king ;  and  this  Borooa  or  tribute,  abandoned  by  the  monarchs 
at  the  intercession  of  Saint  Moling,  was  claimed  for  the  Munster 
rulers  as  an  inseparable  adjunct  of  their  southern  kingdom. 

The  first  act  of  Plan  Siona,  on  his  accession,  was  to  dash  into 
Munster,  demanding  hostages  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  and 
sweeping  over  both  Thomond  and  Desmond  with  irresistible 
force,  from  Clare  to  Cork.  With  equal  promptitude  he  marched 
through  every  territory  of  Ulster,  securing,  by  the  pledges  of 
their  heirs  and  Tanists,  the  chiefs  of  the  elder  tribes  of  the  Hy- 
Nial.  So  effectually  did  he  consider  his  power  established  over 
the  provinces,  that  he  is  said  to  have  boasted  to  one  of  his  hos- 
tages, that  he  would,  with  no  other  attendants  than  his  own 
servants,  pl^y  ft  game  of  chess  on  Thurles  Green,  without  fear  of 
interruption.  Carrying  out  this  foolish  wagerj  ho  accordingly 
went  to  his  game  at  Thurles,  and  was  very  properly  taken  pri- 
soner for  his  temerity,  and  made  to  pay  a  smart  ransom  •  to  his 
captors.  So  runs  the  tale,  which,  whether  true  or  fictitious,  is 
not  without  its  moral.  Flan  experienced  greater  difficulty  with 
the  tribes  of  Connaught  nor  was  it  till  the  thirteenth  year 
of  his  reign  (892)  that  Cathal,  their  Prince,  "  came  into  his 
house,"  in  Meath,  "  under  the  protection  of  the  clergy"  of  Clon- 
macnoise,  and  made  peace  wltii  him.  A  brief  interval  of  repose 
seems  to  have  been  vouchsafed  to  this  Prince,  in  the  last  years 
of  the  century ;  but  a  storm  was  gatherir  over  Cashel,  and  the 
high  pretensions  of  the  Eugenian  line  wer^  again  to  be  put  to 
the  hazard  of  battle. 

Cormac,  the  Prince-Bishop,  began  his  rule  over  Munster  in  the 
year  900  of  our  common  era,  and  passed  some  years  in  peace, 
after  his  accession.  If  we  believe  his  panegyrists,  the  land  over 
which  he  bore  sw^y,  "  was  filled  with  divine  grace  and  worldly 
prosperity,"  and  with  order  so  unbroken,  "  that  the  cattle  needed 
no  cowherd,  and  the  flocks  no  shepherd,  so  long  as  he  was  king." 
Himsolf  an  antiquary  and  a  lover  of  learning,  it  seems  but  n^i 
tural,  that  "  many  books  were  written,  and  many  schools  opened,' 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


73 


I 


by  his  liborality.  During  this  enviable  interval,  councillors  of 
less  paciflc  mood  than  their  studious  master,  were  not  wanting  to 
stimulate  his  sense  of  kingly  duty,  by  urging  him  to  assert  the 
claim  of  Munster,  to  the  tribute  of  the  southern  half  of  Erin. 
As  an  antiquary  himself,  Cormac  must  have  been  bred  up  in 
undoubting  beliof  in  the  justice  of  that  claim,  and  must  have 
given  judgment  ia  favor  of  its  antiquity  and  validity,  before  his 
accession.  These  dicta  of  his  own  were  now  quoted  with 
emphasis,  and  he  was  besought  to  enforce  by  all  the  means  witliin 
his  reach  the  learned  judgments  he  himself  had  delivered.  The 
most  active  advocate  of  a  recourse  to  arms  was  Flaherty,  Abbot 
of  Scattery,  in  the  Shannon,  himself  an  Eugenian,  and  the  kins- 
man of  Cormac,  After  many  objections,  the  peaceful  Prince- 
Bishop  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded,  and  in  the  year  907,  he 
took  up  his  line  of  march,  "  in  the  fortnight  of  the  harvest,"  from 
Cashel  toward  Gowran,  at  the  head  of  all  the  armament  of 
Munster.  Lorcan,  son  of  Lactna,  and  grandfather  of  Brian, 
commanded  the  Dalcassians,  under  Cormac;  and  Oliol,  lord 
of  Desies,  and  the  warlike  Abbot  of  Scattery,  led  on  the 
other  divisions.  The  monarch  marched  southward  to  meet  his 
assailants,  with  his  own  proper  troops,  and  the  contingents  of 
Connaught  under  Cathal,  Prince  of  that  Province,  and  those  of 
Leinster  under  the  lead  of  Kerball,  their  king.  Both  armies  met 
at  Ballaghmoon,  in  the  southern  corner  of  Kildare,  not  far  from  the 
present  town  of  Carlow,  and  both  fought  with  most  heroic 
bravery.  The  Munster  forces  were  utterly  defeated ;  the  Lords 
of  Desies,  of  Fermoy,  of  Kinalmeaky,  and  of  Kerry,  the  Abbots 
of  Cork  and  Kennity,  and  Cormac  himself,  with  6,000  men,  fell  on 
the  ensanguined  field.  The  losses  of  the  victors  are  not  specified, 
b;it  the  6,000,  we  may  hope,  included  the  total  of  the  slain  on 
both  sides.  Flan  at  once  improved  the  opportunity  of  victory  by 
Hdvaccing  intoOssory,  and  establishing  his  cousin  Dermid,  son  of 
Kerball,  over  that  territory^  This  Dermid,  who  appears  to  have 
Oeen  banished  by  Munster  intrigues,  had  long  resided  with  his 
royal  cousin,  previous  to  the  battle,  from  which  he  was  probably 
the  only  one  that  derived  any  solid  advantage.  As  to  the  Abbot 
Flaherty,  the  instigator  of  this  ill-fated  expedition,  he  escaped 
A-om  the  conqueroi-s,  and  safe  in  his  island  sanctuary  gave  him- 
7 


T4 


POPULAR   HI8T0RT    Of   IRKLAyi*. 


self  up  for  a  while  to  penitential  rigors.    The  worldly  spirit 
however,  was  not  dead  in  his  breast,  and  after  the  deceasie  oi 
.  Oormac's  next  successor,  he  emerged  from  his  cell,  and  was  ele- 
vated to  the  kingship  of  Cashel. 

In  the  earlier  and  middle  years  of  this  long  rel^.the  inrasiona 
from  the  Baltic  had  diminished  both  in  force  and  in  frequency. 
This  is  to  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact,  that  during  its  entire 
length,  it  was  cotemporaneous  with  the  reign  of  Harold,  "  the 
Pair-haired"  King  of  Norway,  the  scourge  of  the  sea-kings.    This 
more  fortunate  Charles  XII.,  born  in  853,  died  at  the  age  of  81, 
after  sixty  years  or  almost  unbroken  successes,  over  all  his  Danish, 
Swedish,  and  insular  enemies.    It  is  easy  to  comprehend  by  re- 
ference to  his  exploits  upon  the  Baltic,  the  absence  of  the  usual 
northern  force  from  the  Irish  waters,  during  his  lifetime,  and  that 
of  his  cotemporary,  Flan  of  the  Shannon.    Yet  the  race  of  the 
Bea-kings  was  not  extinguished  by  the  fair-haired  Harold's  vic- 
tories over  them,  at  home.     Several  of  them  permanently  aban- 
doned their  native  coasts  never  to  return,  and  recruited  their 
colonies,  already  so  numerous,  in  the  Orkneys,  Scotland,  England, 
Ireland,  and  the  Isle  of  Man.    In  885,  Flan  was  repulsed  in  an 
attack  on  Dublin,  in  which  repulse  the  Abbots  of  Kildare  and 
Kildalkey  were  slain ;  in  the  year  890  Aileach  was  surprised  and 
plundered  by  Danes,  for  the  first  time,  and   Armagh  shared  its 
fate ;  in  887,  888,  and  891,  three  minor  victories  were  gained  over 
separate  hordes,  in  Mayo,  at  Waterford,  and  in  Ulidia  (Down). 
In  897,  Dublin  was  taken  for  the  first  time  in  sixty  years,  its 
chiefs  put  to  death,  while  its  garrison  fled  in  their  ships  beyond 
sea.    But  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  tenth  century,  better  fortune 
begins  to  attend  the  Danish  cause.    A  new  generation  enters  on 
the  scene,  who  dread  no  more  the  long  arm  of  the  age-stricken 
Harold,  nor  respect  the  treaties  which  bound  their  predecessoi-a 
in  Britain  to  the  great  Alfred.     In  912,  Waterford  received  from 
Bea  a  strong  reinforcement,  and  about  the  same  date,  or  still 
earlier,  Dublin,  from  whic^  they  had  been  expelled  in  897,  was 
again  in  their  possession.  In  913,  and  for  several  subsequent  years, 
the  southern  garrisons  continued  their  ravages  in  Munster,  where 
the  warlike  Abbot  of  Scattery  found  a  more  suitable  olyect  for 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


75 


'rfie  employment,  ot  his  valor  than  that  whl<'h  brought  him,  with 
the  studious  Cormac,  to  the  fatal  fiold  of  Ballaghinoon. 

The  closing  days  of  Flan  of  the  Sliannon  were  embittered  and 
darkened  by  the  unnatural  rebellion  of  his  sons,  Conn<»r  and 
Donogh,  and  his  successor,  Nial,8urnamed  Black-Knee  (Gluti' 
dubh),  the  husband  of  his  daughter,  Qormley.  Tliese  children 
were  by  his  second  marriage  with  Qormley,  daughter  of  that 
8on  of  Conaing,  Avhose  name  has  already  appeared  in  connection 
with  the  plundered  sepulchres  upon  the  Boyne.  At  the  age  of 
three  score  and  upwards  Flan  is  frequently  obliged  to  protect 
by  recourse  to  avms  his  mensal  lands  in  Meath — their  favorite 
point  of  attack — or  to  defend  some  faithful  adherent  whom  these 
unnatural  Princes  sought  to  oppress.  The  daughter  of  I'lan, 
thus  wedded  to  a  husband  in  anns  against  her  father,  seems  to 
have  been  as  little  dutiful  as  his  sons.  We  have  elegioc  stanzas 
by  her  on  the  death  of  two  of  her  husbands  and  of  one  of  her 
sons,  but  none  on  the  death  of  her  father :  although  this  form  of 
tribute  to  the  departed,  by  those  skilled  in  such  compositions, 
seems  to  have  been  as  usual  as  the  ordinary  prayers  for  the 
dead. 

At  length,  in  the  37th  year  of  his  reign,  and  the  68th  of  his 
age,  King  Flan  was  at  the  end  of  his  sorrows.  As  became  the 
prevailing  character  of  his  life,  he  died  peacefully,  in  a  religious 
house,  at  Kyneigh,  in  Kildare,  on  the  8th  of  June,  in  the  year 
916,  of  the  common  era.  The  Bards  praise  his  "  fine  shape"  and 
"  august  mien,"  as  well  as  his  "  pleasant  and  hospitable"  private 
Imbits.  Like  all  the  kings  of  his  race  he  seems  to  have  been 
brave  enough :  but  he  was  no  lover  of  war  for  war's-sake,  and 
the  only  great  engageraeiit  in  his  long  reign  was  brought  on  by 
enemies  who  left  hira  no  option  but  to  flght.  His  munificence  re- 
built the  Cathedral  of  Clonmacnoise,  with  the  co-operation  of 
Colraan,  the  Abbot,  the  year  after  the  battle  of  Ballaghmoon 
(908) ;  for  whi-h  age,  it  was  the  largest  and  finest  stone  Church 
in  Ireland.  His  charity  and  chivalry  both  revolted  at  the  cruel 
excesses  of  war,  and  when  the  head  of  Cormac  of  Cashel  was 
presented  to  hira  after  hid  victory,  he  rebuked  those  who  rejoiced 
over  his  rival's  fall,  kissed  reverently  the  lips  of  the  dead,  and 
ordered  the  .'elies  to  be  delivered,  as  Cortnac  had  himself  willed 


i 


7« 


POPULAR    BISTORT    OF    IRELAND. 


*,  to  the  Church  of  Castledermot,  l\,r  Christian  burial.  Thw. 
traus  of  clmractor.  not  less  than  his  family  afflictions,  and  tho 
•,'enerally  peaceful  tenor  of  his  long  life,  have  endeared  to  many 
Uie  memory  of  Flan  of  the  Shannon. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

W508  OF  THE  TEXTH  CENTURY;  NIAL  IV.;  DOXOGH  IT.;  CCKOAi 

III.  ;  DONALD  IV. 

Pi^'^'^^I"  ^Z''^'''''^  Black-Knee)  succeeded  his  father-in-law, 
Fan  of  the  Shannon,  A.  D.  916,  and  in  the  third  year  of  his  reigii 
fell  m  an  assault  on  Dublin;  Donogh  11.,  son  of  Flan  Siona 
roiped  for  twenty-five  years;  Congal  III.  succeeded,  and  was 
«lam  m  an  ambush  by  the  Dublin  Danes,  in  the  twelfth  year 
of  h.s  reign  (A.  D.  956)  ;  Donald  IV.,  in  the  twenty-fourth  year  of 
his  reign  died  at  Armagh.  A.  D.  979:  which  four  reigns  bring 
us  to  the  period  of  the  accession  of  Malachy  II.  as  Arl 
Righ,  and  the  entrance  of  Brian  Boru,  on  the  national  stage,  as 
Kmg  of  Cashel,  and  competitor  for  the  monarchy 

The  reign  of  Nial  Black-Knee  was  too  brief  to  be  memorable 
foi  any  other  event  than  his  heroic  death  in  battle.    The  Danes 
having  recovered  Dublin,  and  strengthened  its  defences,  Nial  it 
18  stated,  was  incited  by  his  confessor,  the  Abbot  of  Bangor 'to 
attempt  their  re-expulsion.    Accordingly,  in  October,  919, 'he 
niarched  towards  Dublin,  with  a  numerous  host;  Conir.  soL  of 
the  late  king  and  Roydamna  ;  the  lords  of  Uhdia  (Down)  Oriel 
(Louth),  Breagh  (East-Meath),  and  other  chiefs  with  their  clans 
accompanying  him.    Sitrick  and  Ivar,  sons  of  the  first  Danish 
leaders  in  Ireland,  marched  out  to  meet  them,  and  near  Rathfarn- 
ham,  on  the  Dodder,  a  battle  was  fought,  in  which  the  Irish  were 
Utterly  defeated  and  their  monarch  slain.    This  Nial  left  a  son 
named  Murkertach,  who.  according  to  the  compact  entered  into 
between  the  Northern  and  Southern  Hy-Nial,  became  the  Roy. 
damna  of  the  next  reign,  and  tne  most  successful  leader  against 
the  Danes,  since  the  Ume  of  Malachy  I.    Ho  was  tho  step-son  of  tU« 


POPULAR    niBTORT    OF   IRBLAKD. 


T7 


poetic  Lady  Oormley,  whose  lot  it  was  to  have  been  married  io 
succession  to  tlie  King  ot  Munster,  tlie  King  of  I.einster,  and  tlie 
Mormrch,  Her  first  husband  was  Corniac,  son  of  Cuilonan, 
before  he  entered  holy  orders  ;  her  second,  Kerball  of  Leinster, 
and  her  third,  Nial  Jihck-Knee.  She  was  an  accomplished 
poetess,  besides  being  the  daughter,  wife,  and  mother  of  kings, 
yet  after  the  death  of  Nial  she  "  begged  from  door  to  door,"  and 
no  one  had  pity  on  her  fallen  state.  By  what  vices  she  had 
thus  estranged  from  her  every  kinsman,  and  every  dependant, 
we  ire  left  to  imagine ;  but  that  such  was  her  misfortune,  at  the 
t'me  her  brother  was  monarch,  and  her  step-son  successor,  we 
Viarn  from  the  annals,  which  record  her  penance  and  death, 
ander  the  date  of  946. 

Tne  defeat  sustained  near  Rathfarnham,  by  the  late  king,  wat 
amply  avenged  in  the  first  year  of  the  new  Ard-Righ  (A.  D.  920), 
when  the  Dublin  Danes  having  marched  out,  taken  and  burned 
Kells,  in  Meath,  were  on  their  return  through  the  plain  of  Breagh, 
attacked  and  routed  with  unprecedented  slaughter.    "  There  fell 
of  the  nobles  of  the  Norsemen  here,"  say  the  old  Annalists,  "  as 
many  as  fell  of  the  nobles  and  plebeians  of  ihe  Irish,  at  Ath-Cliath" 
(Dublin).    The  Northern  Hydra,  however,  was  not  left  headless. 
Godfrey,  grandson  of  Ivar,  and  Tomar,  son  of  Algi,  took  com- 
mand at  Dublin,  and  Limerick,  infusing  new  life  into  the  rem- 
nant of  their  race.    The  youthful  son  of  the  late  king,  soon  after 
at  the  head  of  a  strong  force  (A.  D.  921),  compelled  Godfrey  to 
retreat  from  Ulster,  to  his  ships,  and  to  return  by  sea  to  Dublin. 
This  was  Murkertach,  fondly  called  by  the  elegiac  Bards,  "  the 
Hector  of  the  West,"  and  for  his  heroic  achievements,  not  unde- 
serving to  be  named  after  the  gallant  defender  of  Troy.    Murker- 
tach first  appears  in  our  annals  at  the  year  921,  and  disappears 
in  the  thick  of  the  battle  in  938.    His  whole  career  covers  seven- 
teen years ;  his  position  throughout  was  subordinate  and  expect- 
ant—for King  Donogh  outlived  his  heir :  but  there  are  few  names 
in  any  age  of  the  history  of  his  country  more  worthy  of  historical 
honor  than  his.    While  Donogh  was  king  in  name.  Murkertach 
was  king  in  fact ;  on  him  devolved  the  burden  of  every  negotia- 
tion, and  the  brunt  of  every  battle.    Unlike  his  ancestor,  Hugh 
of  Aileach,  in  his  opposition  to  Donogh's  ancestor,  Malachy  I., 


m 


POPULAR    HrSTORT    OF   IRtLAKD. 


he  r>cver  attempts  to  counteract  the  kins?    or  f.  »,„         , .     . 
.  -..iL,  "  :,  a  ™  r.       "r    '  "  ""  "^  ">  '"'""'••>'•    True, 

alway.  in  „„po,Uic,„,  If  «,*:.~  C  /oTZ'h        '"  "™ 
as  occupant  and  e!rn«nfor,f    *    Wl  ^       ^  ^^^^^^  '^'"^  son, 

I  "■"5„ync  cannot  hide,  and  the  prudonce  np]f  riani^i 
arrived  I  ^     ^       ^'*'"'^  ""^  "'  'hat  day  never 

11  w  island.    In  the  years  92;U4  nr.ri  k  *u  ■ 

light  armed  vessels  swarmed  on  Lou^h  Erne   Lc.,!  n  '       I 
other  lakes,  spreading  flame  and  terror  on  ev",  iT  c!?  "' 
ncse  and  Kildare,  slowly  recovering  from  forme   nilla?'" 
agam  left  empty  and  ia  ruins.    Muker^cM™^^^^^^ 
^xrly  operations  was  his  own  patrimony  in  UUtlr  aZct7 
Newry  a  Northern  division  unier  thl      "''^^'^;  ^"^^ked  near 

of  the  reranint  was  only  socaraJ  h„  nJ,,  "'°'^"' 

to  their  reli,,  and  c„  JlnTZ  rel!t     h'  ""1'"'°  '""'"" 
dead.    In  the  years  9H  »T  ,,       1?  '  """  '"^  "'*  'I'" 

Mu,..ert.eh  Jn7:,^:-^''Z1r^::  t'l""  T"""' 
vantage  of  the  result  Of  «h.         iT  ^'  **'""-  Politic  ad- 

which'had  so  sel   ;^^^^^^^^^^^  ^.^^J'^  of  Brunanbur.h. 

ia«,«a  in  company  JithZ^K  "^  '""'"'''''  "^*^  A^''^' 

garrison.  levellLiri's,  andleH:  ;'  T'"'  ^'^^^""^  ^'^ 

Men  in  ashes.    Prom  Dubl  n  tJl  "'^^  dwelhncrs  of  the  North- 

irrom  Dublm  they  proceeded  southward,  Oirough 


1 


FOPULAR    HISTORY    Of   IRBLAMD, 


71 


Leln«t^r  and  Munster,  and  after  taking  hostages  of  ^^JJ^^' 
ir.n.>sh  returned  to  hl»    Methia.i   home   and    MurkerUvch   M 
A  each.    Whilere.tin,mhisownfort(A.D.9:i9)hewasHur. 
pr ted  by  a  party  of  Danes,  and  carried  off  t.  their  »hu>s.  hu^ 
[lys  the  old  trannlalor  of  tl>e  AnnaU  of  Clonmacno.He,  "he  mado  . 
Hoo  I  escape  fron.  them,  an  it  was  God's  will."    The  foUow.ng 
seton  ho  redoubled  his  efforts  against  the  enemy.    Attack^ ^ 
them  on  their  ov^n  element  he  ravaged  their  settleraenU  on  the 
ScTtish  coasts  and  among  the  isles  of  Insl-Gall  (the  Hebndes  . 
rctnrned  laden  with  spoils,  and  hailed  with  acclamations  as  tho 

liberator  of  his  people.  t>,;,,„«  «» 

Of  tho  sama  a?e  with  Murkertach,  the  reigmng  Prmce  at 
Cashel.  was  Kellachan,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  latter  Bards  and 
Story-tellers  of  the  South.    The  romantic  tales  of  his  c;Pt«*>-«  ^^ 
the  Danes,  and  captivity  in  their  fleet  at  Dundalk,  of  the  love 
which  Sitricks-  wife  bore  him.  and  of  his  ga"  -nt  rescue  by  the 
Dalcassians  and  Eugenians,  have  no  historical  sanction     He  was 
often  both  at  war  and  at  peace  with  the  foreigners  of  Cork  and 
Limerick,  and  did  not  hesitate  more  than  once  to  employ  their 
arms  for  the  maintenance  of  his  own  supremacy;  but  his  only 
authentic  captivity  was,  as  a  hostage,  in  the  hands  of  Murker- 
tach     While  the  latter  was  absent,  on  his  expedition  to  Insi- 
Gall  Kellachan  fell  upon  the  Deisi  and  Ossorians,  and  inflicted 
gevera  chastisement  upon  them-alleging.  as  his  provocation,  that 
they  had  "iven  hostages  to  Murkertach,  and  acknowledged  him 
as  Roydalna  of  all  Erin,  in  contempt  of  the  coequal  rights  ot 
Cashel      When  Murkertach  returned  from  his  Scotch  expedition, 
and  heard  what  had  occurred,  and  on  what  pretext  Kellachan  had 
acted,  he  assembled  at  Aileach  all  the  branches  of  the  Northern 
Hy-Nial,  for  whom  this  was  cause,  indeed.    Out  of  these  he  se- 
lected  1  000  chosen  men,  whom  he  provided,  among  other  equip- 
ments,  with  those  "  leathern  coats,"  which  lent  a  aoubriquet  to  Ins 
name;  and  with  these  "  ten  hundred  heroes,"  he  set  out-strong 
in  his  popularity  and  his  alliances-to  make  a  circuit  of  the  en- 
tire  island  (A.  D.  940).    He  departed  from  Ailoach,  says  hi. 
Bard,  whose  Itinerary  we  have,  ''keeping  his  left  hand  to  the 
1,3a  "  Dublin,  once  more  rebuilt,  acknowledged  his  title,  and 
Bit-ick,  one  of  its  lords,  went  with  him  as  hostage  for  Earl  Blacaii 


I  I 


80 


rOPUlAB  HWTOBT  OF  IBILAND. 


»n4h,s  countrymen  j  Leinster  aurmnderad  hfm  Lorcan,  it,  Kin2- 
Kellaohan,  of  Caihel,  overawed  by  hi,  superior  fortun;  adv Led 

m,n,elf  the  hostage  for  all  Manster.    In  Connauaht  Con™  !-fi 
w  .o,n  the  O'Cnor,  ta.e  their  fa„,ly  na^eTson  „f  the  pSr 

KeTaohl      r  '  ""  ""  °™'''  """  "'  ^«-'™'*  """  open  arl? 
Kellaohan  .one  wa,  s„hmitu,d  to  the  indignity  of  wearing  uZ 

ter.     With  these  distinguished  hostacros    Mcrkertanh   ^^.i   «• 

leather  cloaked  "  ten  hundred"  retum'ed  'to  A^elch  whe  '  ^ 

Ave  souths,  they  spent  a  season  of  unbounded  rejoic  „!     i^l  ^ 

following  year,  the  So^dam^a  transferred  the  h,ita«e,  to  K  „! 

Donogh,  as  his  .««w,  thu.,  setting  the  highest'exalfe  „f 

ov^r7t;erb*%''f  "'■•'""    ''^  ""="■"  ""'  '"*"^"^ 
over  all  he  tnbos  of  Erm,  and  feel  himself  without  a  rival  amon" 

us  countrymen.  •  He  st«,d  at  the  ve,y  summit  of  his  iTf^* 

tune,  when  the  Danes  of  DuHin,  reinforced  from  abrHfter  wi 

■■  C,rcu,,   renewed  *eir  old  plundering  practises.    C-^hJ, 

e«  b.in?r  "'  t'^""'"'^^^'  "'^^^^^  theird'esZS 
ev  dently  bemg  Armagh.  Murkertach,  with  some  troops  hastilv 
collected,  disputed  their  passage  at  the  ford  of  Arde7  An  on 
gagement  ensu.i  on  Saturday,  the  4th  of  March,  913  •.nwh.^: 
the  noble  «,y*t».«  fell.  King  Donogh,  to  , Hose  roK-n  ht 
.  goraus  spirit  has  given  its  moin  historical  importance,  survivrf 
h  m  b„t  a  twelvemonth ,  the  Monarch  died  in  L  oed  otZZT- 
h..  destined  successor  in  the  thick  of  the  battle.  ' 

The  death  of  the  brave  and  beloved  Murkertach  filled  all  Erin 
«.*  grief  and  rage,  and  as  King  Donogh  was  too  old  to  a  en"e 
his  destined  successor,  that  duty  devolved  on  Con  J  thTnew 
So^dumna.    In  the  year  a.Vr  the  fatal  action  at  Ardee  CouZ 
with  Brann,  King  of  I,ei„ster,  and  Kellach,  heirof  Leilt  i 
saulted  and  took  Duttin,  and  wreaked  a  terrible  revon'oX 
the  nation's  loss.    The  "  ^om^..,  childmn,  and  plebeians  "we™ 
carried  off  captive,  the  greater  part  of  the  garrison  w"e  put  ™ 
the  sword ;  but  a  portion  escaped  m  their  vessels  to  their  for^,^ 
on  Dalkey,  an  island  in  the  bay  of  Dublin.    This  waTtho  tH 
time  wit  in  a  century  that  Dublin  had  been  rid  oHtsL'i:^ 
yote,  and  yet  as  the  Oaelic-Irish  would  not  themselves  dwdt 
fortmed  towns,  the  site  remained  open  and  unoccupied,  to  ^ 


rOPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  O 

rebunt  as  often  as  it  might  be  retaken.    The  gallant  Congal. 
the  same  year,  succeeded  on  the  death  of  Donogh  to  the  sover- 
eignty, and,  so  soon  as  he  had  secured  his  seat,  and  surrounded 
It  with  sufficient  hostages,  he  showed  that  he  could  not  only 
aven-e  the  death,  but  imitate  the  glorious  life  of  him  whose  place 
he  held      Two  considerable  victories  in  his  third  and  fourth 
years  increased  his  fame,  and  rejoiced  the  hearts  of  his  country- 
men- the  first  was  won  at  Slane,  aided  by  the  Lord  of  Breffm 
(O'Ruarc),  and  by  Olaf  the  Crooked,  a  northern  chief.    The 
second  wa^  fought  at  Dublin  (947),  in  which  Blacair,  the  victor 
at  Ardce,  and  1,600  of  his  men  were  slain.    Thus  was  the  death 
of  Murkertach  finally  avenged.  ^ 

It  is  very  remarkable  that  the  first  conversions  to  Chnstianity 
amon<r  the  Danes  of  Dublin  should  have  taken  place  immediately 
after  these  successive  defeats-in  948.    Nor,  although  quite  Wil- 
liam to  impute  the  best  and  most  disinterested  motives  to  these 
firsl  neophytes,  can  we'shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  no  change 
of  life,  such  as  we  might  reasonably  look  for,  accompanied  their 
chan-e  of  religion.    Godfrid,  son  of  Sitrick,  and  successor  of  Bla- 
cair  who  professed  himself  a  Christian  in  948,  plundered  and 
destroyed  the  churches  of  East-Meath  in  949,  burnt  150  persons 
in  the  oratory  of  Drumree,  and  carried  off  as  captives  3,000  per- 
sons.   If  the  tree  is  to  be  judged  by  its  fruits,  this  first  year  a 
growth  of  the  new  faith  is  rather  alarming.    It  compels  us  to  dis- 
believe the  sincerity  of  Oodfrid.  at  least,  and  the  fighting  men 
who  wrought  these  outrages  and  sacrileges.    It  forces  us  to  rank 
them  with  the  incorrigible  heathens  who  boasted  that  they  had 
twenty  times  received  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism,  and  valued  it 
for  the  twenty  white  robes  which  had  been  presented  to  them  on 
those  occasions.    3till,  we  must  endeavor  hereafter,  when  wo  can, 
to  distinguish  Christian  from  Pagan  Danes,  and  those  of  Irish 
birth  sons  of  the  first  comers,  from  the  foreign-bom  kinsmen  of 
their  ancestors.    Between  these  two  classes  there  grew  a  gulf  of 
feeling  and  experience,  which  a  common  language  and  common 
dangers  only  partially  bridged  over.    Not  seldom  the  interests  and 
incirnations  of  the  Irish-born  Dane,  especially  if  a  true  Christian, 
were  at  open  variance  with  the  interests  and  designs  of  the  new 
arrivals  from  Denmark,  and  it  is  generally,  if  not  invariably,  with 
4* 


82 


II  ■  I 


iilli 


lAit    ii 


POPULAR   BISTORT   OF   IRILAKD. 


the  former,  that  the  Lelnster  ai.ri  other  Irish  PrinP«,      *     .  . 

k«J^h    Id"  '""^''-^  "',  patrimony.    Bonar.™ t  mI 

Salt  oTe^T/?!;  ?'«"'"'■» '"''''*»  "am"  ^ 
Brefihi   L^^^^^^         """^''  ""'»  P'^tensioM  of  the  lord  o< 

and  carried  them  „ir.„  hi,  „„  fortr^f  jL  „  *r''°,  ''°'"' 
fatigable  kin"  wa,  in  »h.  «  m    '""""'•    ™«  """•'*«  and  indc- 

wa,  s„rpri«l  and  slain  in  an  ambuscade  laid  for  wl  h'^frid 
St  a  place  on  the  banks  of  the  Llffey  called  T™1    "^JT    *    - 

.n7r„:rs^rB;:cBt„:Ta"ir;hrr'"""'^'^ 
;.:s:::r:s;n:itrrreii^^^^^^^^^^^ 

Wadred,  sept,  district,  or  part/to  thT^  C^^T^ '"'re™? 
common  ancestor,  as  Hv-Nial   K-,-nn«i  n        ,   o  ^  ^^^^^ 

Nr-Eolais,  Dal-,  Cais,"Xl-K        "  Z  ^et^^^^^^^^^^  ""'"" 
begin  to  b^ak  into  families,  and  wo  are  h   eafterri,  "''" 

cular  houses,  by  distinct  hereditary  surname  to.»eU,o"crnor 

exeapuons  are  na^ed.  is  su^^o!!:::  ^Z:^^:^^ 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


88 


•nj)  of  the  old  connexion  to  whom  it  was  once  common.  At 
first  this  alternate  use  of  tribe  and  family  names  may  confuse 
the  reader-for  it  is  rather  puzzling  to  flud  a  MacLoughlin  with 
the  same  paternal  ancestor  as  an  O'Neill,  and  a  McMahon  ol 
Thomund  as  an  O'Brien,  but  the  diiflculty  disappears  witli  use 
and  familiarity,  and  though  the  number  and  variety  of  newly- 
coired  names  cannot  be  at  once  committed  to  memory,  the  story 
itself  gains  in  distinctness  by  the  change. 

In  the  year  955,  Donald  O'Neill,  son  of  the  brave  and  beloved 
Mwkertach,  was  recognized  as  Ard-Righ,  by  the  required  num- 
ber of  Provinces,  without  recourse  to  coercion.    But  it  was  not 
to  be  expected  that  any  Ard-Righ  should,  at  this  period  of  his 
country's  fortunes,  reign  long  in  peace.  War  was  then  the  busmess 
of  the  king ;  the  first  art  he  had  to  learn,  and  the  first  to  practise. 
Warfare  in  Ireland  had  not  been  a  stationary  science  since  the 
arrival  of  the  Norwegians  and  their  successors,  the  Danes.   Some- 
thing they  may  have  acquired  from  the  natives,  and  in  turn  the 
natives  were  not  slow  to  copy  whatever  &eemed  most  effective  m 
their  tactics.    Donald  IV.  was  the  first  to  imitate  their  habit  of 
employin^^  armed  boats  on  the  inland  lakes.    He  even  improved 
on  their  example,  by  carrying  these  boats  with  him  overland, 
and  launching  them  wherever  he  needed  their  co-operation ;  aa 
we  have  already  seen  him  do  in  his  expedition  against  Brefihu 
while  Roydamna,  and  as  we  find  him  doing  again,  in  the  seventh 
year  of  his  reign,  when  he  carried  his  boats  overland  from 
Armagh  to  Westmeath  in  order  to  employ  them  on  Loch  Ennell, 
near  Mullingar.    He  was  at  this  time  engaged  in  making  his  first 
royal  visitatFon  of  the  Provinces,  upon  which  he  spent  two  months 
in  Leinster,  with  all  his  forces,  coerced  the  Munster  chiefs  by 
fire  and  sword  into  obedience,  and  severely  punished  the  insubor- 
dination of   Fergal  O'Ruarc,   King  of  Connaught.    His  fleet 
upon  Loch  Ennell,  and  his  severities  generally  while  in  their 
patrimony,  so  exasperated  the  powerful  families  of  the  Southern 
Hy-Nial  (the  elder  of  which  was  now  known  as  O'MelaghUn),  that 
on  the  first  opportunity  they  leagued  with  the  Dublin  Danes, 
under  their  leader,  Olaf  "  the  Crooked"  (A.  D,  966),  and  drove 
King  Donald  out  of  Leinster  and  Meath,  pursuing  him  across 
Slieve-Fuaid.  almost  to  the  walls  of  AUeach.    But  the  brav« 


5:i 


III 


i 

! 

1 

! 

1      i 

84 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


tribes  of  Tyrconnell  and  Tyrowen  rallied  to  his  support  and  he, 

aijiiuu  i,o  i^eua.       In  the  campaigns  which  now 

year,    th„  Le.nater  people   generally  sy,npathi.,ed  with    and 
as»  ted  those  of  West-Meath,  and  Olaf,  of  Dublin    ™h„  re 
crmted  his  rank,  by  the  junction  of  the  Lagraans   a  wlrlik. 

acted  ,vth  the  monarch,  and  the  son  of  its  Tanist  (A.  D.  071) 
was  s.a,„  before  Dublin,  by  Olaf  and  his  Leinster  allies  with 
2,000  men,  of  Ossory  and  Dlster.    The  campaign  of  078  ™ 

.  l.es  who  had  taken  their  king  captive,  and  in  an  engagement 
at  Belan  near  Athy,  defeated  their  forces,  with  the  lo^s  of  the 

other  !h    ;      r-     "^"'"^  "'  ^™'""'^'''  J--  ""O  M->^«".  ""<« 

inMeath  tt         '  ^'"'"'  '""'  ""  "-"»' f^une  at  Killmoon, 
in  Meath,  the  same  season,  where  he  was  nlterlv  routed  by  the 
«.me  force  with  the  loss  of  Ardgal,  heir  of  Ulidia,  and  KeZl 
Sd  i^TT"-  k""'  ""  ""  '-'o"-*--"  about  the  le 

hereafter,  the  balance  of  victory  would  have  strongly  indinod 
towards  the  Northmen  a.  thia  stage  of  the  c«itest. 

notpuU.WfZ'J"  '™'.'""'  '"  »""««<'"'y  to  Brian,  waa 
Meath  Th,8  wa.  Melaghiin,  better  known  afterwards  as  Ma. 
laohy  II.,  son  „,  Donald,  son  of  King  D„„ogh,  and,  the"efom 

tomed  to  the  command  of  his  tribe-and  he  resolved  to  earn  the 
honors  wh,ch  were  in  store  for  him,  aa  successor  to  the  sove  ! 
e.gnty  In  the  year  979,  the  Danes  of  Dublin  and  the  We, 
marched  m  unusual  strength  into  Meath,  under  the  command  „f 

tte  nea  Tara^and        •  f ''  """  ""  '"'™'  «»"  "■»"•  >»"■ 

6^0  !nh!  f  ''"  ''"'^  °"  "■»  ""-'■  "i*' «  «  "ported. 

6,000  of  th^  f«.e,gners.      On  the  Irish  aide  feU  the  heir  of  lei«a. 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OP    IRKLAND. 


85 


ter  thelordofMorgallionandhisson;  the  lords  of  FertuUagh 
and  Creraorne,  and  a  host  of  their  followers.    The  engagement, 
in  true  Homeric  spirit,  had  been  suspended  on  three  successive 
ni-hts,  and  renewed  three  successive  days.    It  was  a  genuine 
pitehed  battle-a  trial  of  main  strength,  each  party  being  equaUy 
confident  of  victory.    The  results  were  most  imporunt,  and jnost 
gratifying  to  the  national  pride.     Malachy,  accompamed  by  h,. 
friend,  the  lord  of  Ulidia  ^Down).  moved  rapidly  on  Dublm, 
which,  in  its  panic,  yielded  to  all  his  demands.    The  King  o 
Leinster  and  2,000  other  prisoners  were  given  up  to  him  without 
ransom.    The  Danish  Earls  solemnly  renounced  all  claims  to  tn- 
bute  or  fine  from  any  of  the  dwellers  without  their  own  wails. 
Malachy  remained  in  the  city  three  days,  dismantled  its  fortresses 
and  carried  oflf  its  hostages  and  treasure.    The  unfortunate  Olaf 
the  Crooked  fled  beyond  seas,  and  died  at  lona,  in  exile,  and  a 
Christian.  In  the  same  year,  and  in  the  midst  of  universal  rejoicing, 
Donald  IV.  died  peacefully  and  piously  at  Armagh,  m  the  24th 
year  of  his  reign.    He  was  succeeded  by  Malachy,  who  was  his 
sister's  son,  and  in  whom  all  the  promise  of  the  lamented  Mur- 
kertach  seemed  to  revive. 

The  story  of  Malachy  II.  is  so  interwoven  with  the  still  more 
illustrious  career  of  Brian  Borooa,  that  it  will  not  lose  in  inter- 
est by  being  presented  in  detail.    But  before  entering  on  the 
rivalry  of  these  great  men,  we  must  again  remark  on  the  altered 
position  which  the  Northmen  of  this  age  hold  to  the  Irish  from 
that  which  existed  foi-merly.    A  century  and  aha^  had  now 
elapsed  since  their  first  settlement  in  the  seaports,  especially  of 
the  eastern  and  southern  Provinces.    More  than  one  generation  of 
their  descendants  had  been  bom  on  the  banks  of  the  Liffey ,  the 
Shannon  and  the  Suir,    Many  of  them  had  married  into  Irish 
families,  had  learned  the  language  of  the  country,  and  embraced 
its  reliction.    When  Limerick  was  taken  by  Brian,  Ivor  its  Danish 
lord  fle°d  for  sanctuary  to  Scattery  Island,  and  when  Dublin  was 
taken  by  Malachy  II.,  Olaf  the  Crooked  fled  to  lona.    Inter- 
marriacres  with  the  highest  Gaelic  families  became  frequent,  after 
th'.ir  conversion  to  Christianity.    The  mother  of  Malachy,  after 
-    ather's  death,  had  married  Olaf  of  Dublin,  by  whom  she  had 

ft  son.  named  Gluniarran,  {^Iron-Knee,  from  his  armor,)  who  wai 
8 


■ 


r ) 


i        1 

! 
i 


.:     I 


fi« 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF  IRBtAim. 


tliu8  half-brother  to  thft  ir,v„     t*  • 

th»  »ny  Of  Malachy  aS;^,  ''  '""!'™'  «"»"«•■  «»  «"•'  hi™ 
and  curious  .noush  t„  ZIT  ' ""'"'"' '™"'  <"  W»'"««-'i  i 
vantofPaW„r*i.„b.'„f"  ,7^  f ""  «'"«-'>"™k-ser: 
SiWck,  "Of  the  SUk«  b"rd  .•^;  '°?  "'"■"'"'  «  "»»tah,  and 
".enwo^not,  e,«7l.  Zt>d  /  I''"  »"»'»" ""Nor*- 
evident.    Tho  o„fT„«  O.^       •  °°"'"''°*  '"  """  8ener.Uo;i,  i, 

in  the  begtanin,  ofa"     *'         """•  '"  *'  <»""«  of  Clontarf 

day  undef  hTa^Llf "wrTlr  t°"°,'"  ''^""'■'  «"^  "* 
the  Xlth  century  Z  »™  T»  °  ^"'"™-    '"'>»  fl"t  half  of 

Of  the  es  JS^t  «fTh„?T  ''"'  »»''  ""  «-»'».  «  the  e« 

hence  the  neceX^  toSrr, '''' '^"''™'™'' •■■* 
to  IreUnd.  direct  C  thl  Zr  ,  *  ""™  ""^  "''»  «"« 
land  and  bred  ™  feL  p  Jf  "'■.'^°'"  "'°"  "'"o.  bom  in  Ire- 

hend.o..„chrh.'r:ri::;;;tr„:,r  *"-"- 


CHAPTER  V. 

KEION  OP  MALACHT  „.  j,,^  h,^^,„  ^^  ^^^^^^  , 

thirtieth  year,  when  fA  D  QfimT  ^  ^°^''^)'  ^^  ^'^  ^'^ 

Of  his  prle::Xen^:  "st^^Ztr"'^  "'^"  ^'^  '^^'^  ^ 

more  brilliant  dawn  nZ  ^  '''''°''®'  ^^'^  seldom  did 

Fate  hei,  T.^:^^:^:::^'!^,'"^  f'** 

not  even  bu  ancestor  «„^  „.      ^  ^■,  °' '"'  foiiecessors, 

by  the  Victory  at  Ur^'  2 1  IT"'  '"  ""'""^  "  "''«'""''«» 
-n.t.r..I,.:-r--a-rhr 


•5-1 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IBKLAND. 


»^ 


The  hardest  task  of  every  Ard-Eigh  of  this  and  the  preTioua 
century  had  been  to  circumscribe  the  ambition  of  th«  J^'^g*  «« 
Cashel  within  Provincial  bounds.    Whoever  ascended  the  souths  ^ 
ern  throne-whether  the  warlike  Fellm  or  the  leai-ned  Cormac- 
we  have  seen  the  same  policy  adopted  by  them  all.    The  descend- 
ants of  Heber  had  tired  of  the  long  ascendancy  of  the  raca 
of   Heremon,    and    the    desertion   of   Tara,  by  makmg  that 
ascendancy  still  more  strikingly  Provincial,  had  increased  theif 
antipathy.    It  wa,J  a  struggle  for  supremacy  between  north  and 
south;    a  contest  of  two  geographical  parties;    an  effort   to 
efface  the  real  or  fancied  dependency  of  one-half  the  island  on 
the  will  of  the  other.    The  Southern  Hy-Nial  dj-nasty,  springing 
up  as  a  third  power  upon  the  Methian  bank  of  the  Shannon, 
and  balancing  itself  between  the  contending  parties,  might  per- 
haps have  given  a  new  centre  U>  the  whole  system ;  Malachy  IT. 
was  in  the  most  favorable  position  possible  tc  have  done  so  had 
he  not  had  to  contend  with  a  rival,  his  equal  in  battle  and  supe- 
rior in  counca,  in  the  person  of  Brian,  the  son  of  Kennedy,  of 

Kincorra.  ,      . 

The  rise  tosovereign  rank  of  the  house  of  Kincorra  (the  0  Bnens), 
is  one  of  the  most  striking  episodes  of  the  tenth  century.   Descend- 
ing  like  most  of  the  leading  families  of  the  South,  from  Olild,  the 
Clak  Dalgais  had  long  been  excluded  from  the  throne  of  Cashel, 
by  successive  coalitions  of  their  elder  brethren,  the  Eugemans. 
Lactna  and  Lorcan,  the  grandfather  and  father  of  Kennedy,  in- 
trepid and  able  men,  had  strengthened  their  ijibe  by  wise  and 
vigorous  measures,  so  that  the  former  was  able  to  claim  the 
successiott,  apparently  with  success.    Kennedy  had  himself  been 
a  claimant  for  the  same  honor,  the  alternate  provision  in  the  wiU 
of  Olild,  against  Kellachan  Cashel  (A.  D.  940-2),  but  at  the  con- 
vention held  at  Glanworth,  on  the  river  Fancheon,  for  the  selec- 
tion of  king,  the  aged  mother  of  Kellaehan  addressed  his  rival 
in  a  quatrain,  buginning — 

«•  Kennedy  Oas  reverq  the  law  I" 

Which  induced  h\n  to  abandon  his  pretensions.    This  Prince, 
u$ually  spoken  of  by  the  Bards  as  "  the  chaste  Kennedy,"  died 


88 


I-OPUUB  HMTOBT  0^  x„,u,„. 


fellen  in  Danish  battlM_thre^  in  th!f '  °'  ""  ""■»'•»  "^ 

probably  in  the  same  li.M     Thl!^!  """"^  """'P'"*"  (»«)■  '"i 
Who  became  King  ofCMhel    e1  '''™"''""^""™™.  M-'hon, 
■none,  nnderMahon,  CI^'  !f  "7»'  "■■»  ™  «hlef  „,  The 
941,  the  Bema„,in  „/  ^TZZ7  ^t'  '""  '''™'  "-"  "' 
Prince  «,d  Captain,  everyX  „^';    "*»  Pf-""  "taself,  a, 

«J™«o,d  from  victory  to  vict^";;t°"'°''"''»''«°-  »« 
domestic.  In  960  he  claimed  ZaZ^^t  TT'  "'""^''  ^^ 
he  ™forc«l  by  royal  visitation  five  1°  Trr'"'' "'»'"' 
year  he  rescued  Clonmacnois.  Z     T  '    '"  'he  Utter 

'eated  the  same  enemy  wTth  alls  o/     """"•  """  '"  »««  "e. 
Sulcbold.    This  great  bio;  he  fX°:,'!:  h'  ^"""''  "'™'  "' 
enck,  from  which  ■■  he  bore  oirTZ       ^^  ^  *°  '»*  »'  Lim. 
f  7-  >■«)  jewels...    In  these  and  al  rerTv ''  "'  «"""•  ""* 
«ar'y  age,  he  was  attended  by  B  an^T.    °"'' '■'■°""  ™J' 
only  as  a  brother  and  prince   b^f  ■"""  '"  ""'«»  no' 

tune  had  accompanied  hto  to  ^T,Z  "  .'"'"''  '"  ''■™'-    *•»■■• 
expelled  his  most  in.ractaU    ,iv  ,^V„°,?"""^'-    ««  ""1 
of  Desmond;  his  rnlewas  ackZj,^ >'°" "'^™°. ''»■•'' 
Bnblta  and  Cork,  who  openeTtheTft^f*    ''  ""  ''"""■"™  "' 
»nder  his  banner,  he  carried  "  I    fh  T'  *"  "™'  """  ^''™'i 
his  hoose,..  which  had  never  bl,^"'"  ''"'*«'»'  »'  Mnnster  to 
But  family  greatness  beZ  ftrnM^r  .  ™  '*"""'™'  «"  «^P«ot 
and  hatred.    The  BugJ^  ZmJT'  """  """^  "^e^*"  '"vy 
ove^hadowed  by  the"  brilHanttr  "  T  """"  "''"'-'- 
conspired  against  the  life  of  Mah^rw.     .     '°'"  "'  ^'nnedy, 
"ature.  fell  easily  Into  their  tmp     C°'      ""  ""  '"'"  """Mi-* 
a<ivice  of  Ivor,  the  Danish  oM  of  L^^JT  "'  ^™.  ^  .he 
Mahon  in  friendly  conference  at  L  h„  ' '"'°''™«'  •»  "eet 

»ian  chief,  whose  «th  wa,  a^  Brfree    "T  "™°™"'  "-  ^"=°»- 
Bafety  of  each  pe«„n  was  gnara„^dT  1"'"  ""'«"«•    ^"0 
the  mediator  on  the  occasion     Mah^*    ^  *°  "''""P  <"  Cork, 
to  the  conference,  where  he  was  ™dd^  T"!""''  ""^'^PWon^ly 
treacherous  host,  and  ea,ried7nto  thf  ^'^  Tt"^  "^  "^"^  "'  hi" 
Knoclnreorin.    Here  a  smaluC  nlL^t  °""^  """»'«i°'  <" 

'"""•■- --~y'.o^X:;:rrm.^^- 


Ml 

m 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IKFLAND. 


8U 


the  ibul  deed  was  not  done  unwitnessed.  Two  priests  of  th« 
Bishop  of  Cork  followed  the  Prince,  who,  when  arrested,  snatched 
up  "  the  aospel  of  St.  Barry,"  on  which  Molloy  was  to  have 
sworn  his  fealty.  As  the  swords  of  the  assassins  were  aimed  at 
his  heart,  he  held  up  the  Gospel  for  a  protection,  and  his  blood 
spouting  out,  stained  the  Sacred  Scriptures.  The  priests,  taking  up 
the  blood-stained  volume,  fled  to  their  Bishop,  spreading  the  hor- 
rid story  as  they  went.  The  venerable  successor  of  St.  Barry 
"wept  bitteriy  and  uttered  a  prophecy  concerning  the  future 
fate  of  the  murderers;"  a  prophecy  which  was  very  speedily 

fulfilled. 

This  was  in  the  year  976,  three  or  four  years  before  the  battle 
of  Tara  and  the  accession  of  Malachy.  When  the  news  of  his 
noble-hearted  brother's  murder  was  brought  to  Brian,  at  Kinkora, 
he  was  seized  with  the  most  violent  grief.  His  favorite  harp  was 
taken  down,  and  he  sang  the  death-song  of  Mahon,  recounting 
all  the  glorious  actions  of  his  life.  His  anger  flashed  out  through 
his  tears,  as  he  wildly  chanted 

»  My  heart  shall  burst  within  my  breast, 
Unless  I  avenge  this  groat  king  ; 
They  shall  forfeit  life  for  this  foul  deed 
Or  I  must  perish  by  a  violent  death." 

But  the  climax  of  his  lament  was,  that  Mahon  "  had  not  fallen 
in  battle  behind  the  shelter  of  his  shield,  rather  than  trust  in  the 
treacherous  words  of  Donovan."  Brian  was  now  in  his  thirty-fifth 
year,  was  married  and  had  several  children.  Morrogh,  his  eldest, 
was  able  to  bear  arms,  and  shared  in  his  ardor  and  ambition. 
"  His  first  effbrt,"  says  an  old  Chronicle,  "  was  directed  against 
Donovan's  allies,  the  Danes  of  Limerick,  and  he  slew  Ivor  their 
king,  and  two  of  his  sons."  These  conspirators,  foreseeing  their 
fate"  had  retired  into  the  holy  isle  of  Scattery,  but  Brian  slew 
them  between  "  the  horns  of  the  altar."  For  this  violation  of  the 
sanctuary,  considering  his  provocation,  he  was  little  blamed.  He 
next  turned  his  rage  against  Donovan,  who  had  called  to  his  aid 
the  Danish  townsmen  of  Desmond.  "  Brian,"  says  the  Annalist 
of  Innisfallen,  "  gave  them  battle  where  Auliffe  and  his  Danes, 
and  Donovan  and  his  Irish  forces,  were  all  cut  off."     Aftei 


90 


»0'WA8  „,„„„  „,  ,,,^^^_^ 


««'",  .h.  black  ahaid,  o7  .h.  nol  °°  *"  *™™  °'  ""  "• 
Aftor  tW,  victory  „,er  MoTlol  ,on  oJ^n"""  "'"""^  "cli.vi. 

•»^  "on  th„  baW,  0,  Ta™    *  ? "'*'""''•'■■  «"'J>'n'"Mal.chy 
eaptain  of  his  ago.  '  ""  J'""J'  considerad  tho  a„i  irf^J 

Malacliy,  in  tho  arstycarnf  i.r.    • 
«««  of  ,b.  Da„«  of  D,,b|  „  h 't    '^'  ""'■"!  «cei,od  the  host- 

naturally  enough,  to™rtrBrL^r'!:^''»*"'""«»«on  drawn, 
had  refused  him  homa^o  or  thTh  '~.™"'™'»-  Whether  Brian 
talf.w„gd„™  „.,  w,  =;;;^  ""  J"  "v,™i  of  the  ow  cWm  to  ,b" 

Malachy  marched  southrrS  1/      """""^  '"■»««'"»  »auso 

tertngThomon^hepluShTDir   °"'''*'''"  "'  >"""■  ^n- 
»ou„d  at  Adair.  ,vhere.  undert,  0^^^^^' ^  ™'-"='''"«  *«  "« 
•"J  long  been  inauga^ted  he  c     1^  '  ""^ '''°8'<'f  ^homond 
•""h  with  it,  root,,"  and  cut'  ^J^"^  "  *"  "»  "  ")»«  from  th, 
oortainly  beapeaka  an  embitl  ^^  .^^r    '"""  '"'  ">'  """'"hy' 
provocation  must,  indeed,  hatteentr^""'™  '•""■'■  »■"•  '"' 
barous  an  action.    But  w^  arlnofinr  T  ""  •""""«  »o  bar. 
"^-    At  the  time  Brian  IZnZ^"""'^  "'"  *o  Provocation 
ne;<tyear  we  find  him  eeiZ  the  „  ''       ''"'"^  "'^'"""'Oi  "'o 
Of  Ossory,  and  ,oo„  after  he'bt'  intoT  °1  «'"-'-'"'"*k,  lord 
•nd  sword  the  wanton  destruoZ  '  A  "'  """Stas  "-itl.  Are 

Tims  were  these  two  powerfrPri       '"°''"""  """^ 
«ch  other.    We  have  no  7e^rl  1  r,,""™'^ '"""™''«"'"h 
«.e.r  struggle,  which  continun^n!''"'  ""  ""  "o'*"'  of 
V-  987,  Brian  wa,  p«c«™,^  I    '"   T:"'^  r''    ^''»"'  «■» 
»h«  power,  (though  not  the  title  !■!%?  '""'*■  """  "a""'* 

-'.--H.  acuity  ri^XattrruaZr:^ 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT    OF    IRKLAHS. 


91 


iory,  in  Leiaster,  in  Connaught,  his  voico  and  his  arm  were  fell 
e\ery where.  But  a  divided  avithority  was  of  necessity  so  flavor- 
able  to  invasion,  that  the  Danisii  power  began  ^  loom  up  to  its 
old  proportions.  Sitrick,  "  with  the  silken  beard,"  one  of  tlie 
ablest  of  Danish  leaders,  was  then  at  Dublin,  and  his  occasional  in- 
cursions were  so  formidable,  that  they  produced  (what  probably 
nothing  else  could  have  done)  an  alliance  between  Brian  and 
Malachy,  which  lasted  for  three  years,  and  was  productive  of  the 
best  consequences.  Thus,  in  997,  they  imposed  their  yoke  on 
Dublin,  taking  "  hostages  and  jewels,"  from  the  foreigners.  Re- 
inforceraento  arriving  from  the  North,  the  indomitable  Danes  pro- 
ceeded to  plunder  Leinster,  but  were  routed  by  Brian  and  Ma- 
lachy at  Glen-Mama,  in  Wicklow,  with  the  loss  of  6,000  men  and 
all  their  chief  captains.  Immediately  after  this  victory  the  two 
kings,  according  to  the  Annals,  "  entered  into  Dublin,  and  the 
fort  thereof,  and  there  remained  seven  nights,  and  at  their  de- 
parture took  all  the  gold,  silver,  hangings  and  other  precious 
things  that  were  there  with  them,  burnt  the  town,  broke  down 
the  fort,  and  banished  Sitrick  from  thence"  (A.D.  999). 

The  next  three  years  of  Brian's  life  are  the  most  complex  in 
his  career.  After  resting  a  night  in  Meath,  with  Malachy,  he 
proceeded  with  his  forces  towards  Armagh,  nominally  on  a  pil- 
grimage, but  really,  as  it  would  seem,  to  extend  his  party.  Ho 
remained  in  the  sacred  city  a  week,  and  presented  ten  ounces 
of  gold,  at  the  Cathedral  altar.  The  Archbishop  Marian  re- 
ceived him  with  the  distinction  due  to  so  eminent  a  guest,  and 
a  record  of  his  visit,  in  which  he  is  styled  "  Imperator  of  the  Irish," 
was  entered  in  the  Book  of  St.  Patrick.  Ho,  however,  got  no 
hostages  in  the  North,  but  on  his  march  southward,  he  learned 
that  the  Danes  had  returned  to  Dublin,  were  rebuilding  the  City 
and  Fort,  and  were  ready  to  offer  submission  and  hostages  to  him, 
while  refusing  both  to  Malachy.  Here  Brian's  eagerness  for  su- 
premacy misled  him.  He  acccepted  the  hostages,  joined  the 
foreign  forces  to  his  own,  and  even  gave  his  daughter  in  marriage, 
to  Sitrick  of  "  the  silken  beard."  Immediately  he  broke  with 
Malachy,  and  with  his  new  allies  and  son-in-law,  marched  into 
Meath  ia  hostile  array.  Malachy,  however,  stood  to  his  defence ) 
«ttacked  and  defeated  Brian's  advance  guard  of  Danish  horse, 


M  . 


POPULAR    rilSTORr    OF   IRELAITD. 


kind."  "'    '"'"•■»''>o»toge,or.poUof.„y 

•flTacted  M,  end.  '  W^^hL  ea-  -'"""^  """  '°™'  "• 

"Hhoutiha.  ta.„d  htehell  °  ?"'"  """^  "'»"  '"'•■°™"l"'« 
•>»'  aureiy  he  had  gathered   „2«n      T '"""'  """•  '"'""'""^ 

famine,  of  Connaught  by  hiJZ',  „  P">Pillated  the  chief 

of  O'Heyne,  and  hirljnd  m  "^°  """'  "ore,  da„,htor 

thepo^rful  Earl  of  Kentforl*  °  .  '"'*'°"  "'  ''"''.vi ,, 
tor  u>  the  Prine,  of  Sco^ 'rr:*  ™ '  "«<»«'-  Maugh- 
Dublin.  °'"''  '"«  «»o">er  to  the  Danish  King  of 

Malachy,  In  diplomatic  skill  in  f^™  ■  i.. 
pnrpo«,,w«  greatly  inferior  ^"Brirt;:^''"  """"^  "^ 
lantry  and  other  princely  onali.l..  ^    '"  •""""'I  »>I- 

"a3  Of  a  hospitable,  olpoken  ^T^  ""^  ""  '""»'•    "« 

Bather  from  many  eh;™eteX,cL:rrHe?"'"T'  "  "« 
"bang  generally  computed  th.  wT  "»  »  »Poken  of  as 
Europe;..  .„d  .1  „„/„t''  ,/rt\°,'"' J"™™""  '»  those  part,  of 

-"'or  broken,  handled  or  ridden  ultlf.!"         "  '"'™  "■«  ™ 
Prom  an  ancient  story,  which  2^!'     ."•  ^^'  "'  ^™  J"*"-" 
m.es  for  a  year  to  one  oHie  0^^^  ^'"l  "'  ^''"»  '"'  '••'«- 
With  "a  headless  staff"  to  com"^  \T\°^  """"  ''^'■""^  <"■■» 
would  appear  that  his  good  TuZ   '/  ^T  ^  '»'»™  *«™.  •' 
bh  horaemanship.    Finding  ZZ  i„fl   P'-'f""""  w«™  equal  to 
west  Of  the  Shannon,  MafachyT  h,"™'^  ""'  "'' ""  '"«"'»»« 
threw  two  bridco,  acrosVthe  4,'„  ^'^'  "'  "'"  ^'^  WOO, 

at  the  present  £aneX"  *  .  "".t"";  °-  "' f-'ono,  tbe  oth.; 
assistance  of  O'Connor,  bu^tl  o  L .  /  """^  ""^  "''»^«'"  «'"l 
bHd.es,  and  Brian  Pr^atedtyX.'"  I":  •"'■""••' "'° 
Athlone  superintending  the  worl-   Iir.«,  .         '    '™  "" 

force  recruited  from  all, aarCLt'n,riTrf."''''  "  «-™' 
-tab  men-i„-arn;or.  At\thC  wZeld  t» '  '""l"'""  "" 
memorable  in  our  annals,  i„  whicrsril  ~»f»'ence  so 

a.ter.a«™„fapitehedb;tU,wtlfrtertL:;r*:^.:t' 


POPULAR    HliTORT    OF   IRELAND. 


93 


Hon.  Accordlncf  to  the  Bouthem  Annalists  first  a  month,  and 
afterwards  a  year,  wore  allowed  the  Monarch  to  make  his 
choice.  At  the  expiration  of  the  time  Brian  marched  into 
Meo^h,  and  encamped  at  Tara,  where  Malachy,  havlnc;  vainly 
endeavored  to  secure  the  alliance  of  the  Northern  Ily-Nial  in  the 
Interval,  came  and  submitted  to  Brian  without  safeguard  or 
■urety.  The  unmade  monarch  was  accompanied  by  a  guard 
"of  twelve  score  horsemen,"  and  on  his  arrival,  proceeded 
straight  to  the  tent  of  his  successor.  Here  the  rivals  contended 
in  courtesy,  as  they  had  often  done  in  arms,  and  when  they  se- 
parated, Brian,  as  Lord  Paramount,  presented  Malachy  as  many 
horses  as  he  had  horsemen  in  his  train  when  he  came  to  visit 
him.  This  event  happened  in  the  year  1001,  when  Brian  was  in 
his  60th  and  Malachy  in  his  63d  year.  There  were  present  at 
the  Assembly  all  the  princes  and  chiefs  of  the  Irish,  except  the 
Prince  of  Aileach,  and  the  Lords  of  Oriel,  Ulidia,  Tirowen  and 
Tirconnell,  who  were  equally  unwilling  to  assist  Malachy  or  to 
acknowledge  Brian.  What  is  still  more  remarkable  is,  the  pre- 
sence in  this  national  assembly  of  the  Danish  Lords  of  Dublin, 
Carmen  (Wexford),  Waterford  and  Cork,  whom  Brian,  at  this 
time,  was  trying  hard  to  conciliate  by  gifts  and  alliances. 


-•••• 


CHAPTER  VL 


BBlAir,  ABD-RIOH — BATTLE  OF  CLONTABF, 

By  the  deposition  of  Malachy  II.,  and  the  transfer  of  supreme 
power  to  the  long-excluded  line  of  Heber,  Brian  completed  the 
revolution  which  Time  had  wrought  in  the  ancient  Celtic  consti 
tution.  He  threw  open  the  sovereignty  to  every  groat  family  as 
a  prize  to  be  won  by  policy  or  force,  and  no  longer  an  inheritance 
to  be  determined  by  usage  and  law.  The  consequences  were 
what  might  have  been  expected.  After  his  death  the  O'Conors 
of  the  west  competed  with  both  O'Neills  and  O'Briens  for  supre- 
macy, and  A  chronic  civil  war  prepared  the  path  for  Strongbox* 


H 


POPULAR    HTBTORr   OF   IRELAND. 


•nd  the  Normans.    The  term  "  «•?««.  «,-*i.  /^ 
his  chief  difflculfv     in  iZ  .1      "y-Nials  were,  of  course. 

in  m,o.  c^x^«  Sir-  ii^ri  t  L^r^'- 

"  ^^®®'^  *"«re,  and  receivng  hostages  •   in  iohk    i,  , 

bouse  of  Kinkora,  Brien  entertained  a^  Chrfstmas  3  000  T 
including  the  Danish  lords  of  T)„hi;n  !^  ^"^"^^"^^^  3,000  guests, 
Kent,  the  youn.  ^  ZiZ!^         '"^  ^^""'  "^^  ^^^^^^^^  Earl  oi 

with  wine  and  chess  and  thTt^Z  ^^^' '^  '  ^™''''""  '"™^«^' 

W.C.  >a.  pu^rartraSL  rcT^rs- " 

uuu  cuws,  ana  as  many  hofrs  anrl  "  <siVf,T  i..„  ^      ^  . 
leinster  300  buUo*,,  800  hogs,  a'ncl  ao^  .Jd^o  ton    Ct 

!L  'f  "*'"  "'  "■'»».  ""'J  tl-o  Danes  of  LinKrick  36';  „/ 

.^«  tit:"""™-"'"" """  ■^'' "' '-'-"  -  *-  --r . 

Jnf  flLt  r*"?  '"  '"*  "°""''  '^"•"•'io,.  and  given  to  enjoy- 
a         «•/,  bue  siraim  of  panegyric  were  as  prodi- 


I 


POPtTLAft   niSTORY    OF   IKfiLASD. 


05 


ion"  is  applied 
and  Roderick 
ble  to  secure 

with  accus- 
re,  of  course, 
;  Ballysadare, 
id  him  at  Ar- 
Ifcar,"  staying 
he  marched 
ihannon,  pro- 
le  Bann  into 
'  about  Lam- 
's, by  taking 
tched  battie, 
irly  as  much 

In  his  own 
000  guej-ts, 
itive  Earl  ot 
s,  and  those 
is  hostages, 
ependence, 
ng  himself 
3  horses,  in 
is  breakinof 
tributes  of 
le  first  day 
gs;  Ulster 

of  iron ;" 
i;  Ossory, 
the  Danes 
ick  365  of 
mpt  from 
hus  cater 

to  enjoy- 
harp  was 
as  prodi« 


frsH  and  incessant  as  the  falling  of  the  Shannon  over  Killaioe. 
Among  those  enlogiums  none  is  better  known  than  that  beautiful 
allegory  of  the  poet  McLaig,  who  sung  that  "  a  young  lady  of 
great  beauty,  adorned  with  jewels  and  costly  dress,  might  per- 
form unmolested  a  journey  on  foot  through  the  Island,  carrying 
a  straight  wand,  on  the  top  of  which  might  be  a  ring  of  great 
value."    The  name  of  Brian  was  thus  celebrated  as  in  itself  a 
sufficient  protection  of  life.chastity.and  property,  in  every  corner 
of  the  Island.    Not  only  the  Poets,  but  the  more  exact  and  sim- 
ple Annalists  applaud  Brian's  administration  of  the  laws,  and  his 
personal  virtues.     He  labored  hard  to  restore  the  Christian  civili- 
zation, so  much  defaced  by  two  centuries  of  Pagan  warfare.    To 
facilitate  the  execution  of  the  laws  he  enacted  the  general  use 
of  sumaraes,  obliging  the  clans  to  take  the  name  of  a  common 
ancestor,   with  the  addition  of  "  Mac,"  or  "  0" — Avords  which 
signify  "  of,"  or  "  son  of,"  a  forefather.    Thus,  the  Northern  Hy- 
Nials,  divided  into  O'Neils,  CDonnells,  McLaughlins,  &c. ;  the 
Sll-Murray  took  the  name  of  O'Conor,  and  Brian's  own  posterity 
became  knomi  as  O'Briens.    To  justice  he  added  munificence, 
and  of  this  the  Churches  and  Schools  of  the  entire  Island  were 
the  recipients.    Many  a  desolate  shrine  he  adorned,  many  abkik 
chancel  he  hung  with  lamps,  many  a  long  silf>nt  tower  had  its 
bells  restored.    Monasteries  were  rebuilt,  and  the  praise  of  God 
was  kept  up  perpetually  by  a  devoted  brotherhood.    Roads  and 
bridges  were  repaired,  and  several  strong  stone  fortresses  were 
erected,  to  command  the  passes  of  lakes  and  rivers.    Tlie  vulner- 
able points  along  the  Shannon,  and  the  Suir,  and  the  lakes,  as  far 
north  as  the  Foyle,  were  secured  by  forts,  of  clay  and  stone. 
Thirteen  "  roj'al  houses'  in  Munster  alone  are  said  to  have  been 
by  him  restored  to  their  original  uses.    What  increases  our  res- 
pect for  the  wisdom  and  energy  thus  displayed,  is,  the  fact,  that 
the  author  of  so  many  improvements,  enjoyed  but  five  short  years 
of  peace,  after  his  accession  to  the  Monarchy.    His  administra- 
tive genius  must  have  been  great  when,  after  a  long  life  of  war- 
fare, he  could  ai)ply  himself  to  so  many  works  of  internal  .'m- 
provement  and  external  defence. 

In  the  five  years  of  p'nce  j\r.t  si;)oken  of  (from  1005  to  1010), 
Brian  lost  by  death  his  second  wife,  a  son  callod  Donald,  and  hil 


II 


h     :i, 


iljifll 
'I  111  I! 

'  '1 1 ' 


M 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


1^1 


he  sovore,g„ty  of  Ireland,  w„„M  continue  to  posset  1,1'  eouft- 

ine  Northmen  had  never  yet  abandoned  any  soil  on  whinh 
they  had  once  set  foot,  and  the  policy  of  conoiliat  on  whicMhe 
veteran  K.ng  adopted  in  his  old  a«e  was  not  litZ  7  T 
jnen  of  their  stamp.    Every  intelli^lTf  h     t  Lit™ 
the,r  race  m  other  realms  stimulated  them  to  new  exIrtZs  a.^ 

ors  hM,  withm  Brian's  lifetime,  founded  in  Pranra  th^ 
dnlcedom  of  Normandy,  while  S;eyn  had  swep^Tr    si.      /o": 

Prldetd"".  "''':■:'"  """"-^  '"^  ™^  '-'  DanrdyLX 
Pride  and  shame  alike  appealed  to  their  warlike  oomn^rilr     I 

.0  allow  the  fertile  Hibernia  to  slip  from     eir  Z>  ant  tTe 
great  age  of  its  long-dreaded  king  seemed  to  pro2'  «"em  an 
eas,er  victory  than  heretofore  was  possible.    L  1712  we  find 
Bnan  at  Lough  Foyle  repelling  a  new  Danish  invasi^,  Z  f  iv 
ing'-freelom  to  Patrick's  Churches-"  th.  «.™.         ^     ^ 
under  Morrogh  and  another  undrCachlLTm  ^^  llZl 
m  Lemster  and  Meath;  the  former  carryin-  liis  arm,  Jk,     ■ 
ham  on  the  ,euth  side  of  Dublin,  the'^be  'to  H  w^h     ri" 
"orh;  ,n  this  year  also  "the  Gentiles,"  or  PaJTorll^n 
made  a  descent  on  Cork,  and  burned  the  city  but  wfrtdrrn 
offby  the  neighboring  chiefs.  «'«  anveu 

The  great  event,  however,  of  the  long  war  which  had  now  h. 
waged  for  full  two  hundred  years  between  the  .  n  of  ZlZ 
tlie  men  of  Scandinavia  was  approaching     Whm  ^.   7  .    ? 
called  the  last  «eld  day  of  Cbristllty  Xg!  t  oT So^ 
wa.s  near  at  hand.    A  taunt  thrown  out  over  a  gan"  ^   e  e  ^t 
K,nkora  ,s  said  to  have  hastened  this  memorable  dav     jL° 
murra.  Pnnce  of  Leinster,  playing  or  advising  „„  the  game  mad' 
or  recommended,  a  false  move,  upon  which  Morrogh   sloi 
Bnan,  observed,  it  w™  no  wonder  his  friends.  U,e  t,Z\^ 


4 
-% 


f  the  clergy  of 
ibout  the  same 
ft,  and  Morrogh 
and  daughters 
ihat  there  was 
so  long  sought 
ss  it,  for  count- 
3nly  proposes ! 
soil  on  which 
tion  which  the 
^ely  to  disarm 
hievements  of 
exertions  and 
d  his  success- 
ice  the  great 
•esistibly  over 
nish  dynasty, 
mpatriots  not 
asp,  and  the 
lise  them  an 
012  we  find 
Jon,  and  giv- 
>ar,  an  army 
trly  engaged 
to  Kilmaiu- 
wth,  on  the 
Northmen, 
ivere  driven 

d  now  been 
f  Erin  and 
ly  fairly  be 
n  Irish  soil, 
f  chess,  at 
ly.     Mael- 
me,  made, 
jh,  son  of 
Danes,  (to 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


97 


whom  he  owed  his  elevation,)  were  beaten  at  Glen-Mama,  if  he 
gave  them  advica  like  that.  Maelmurra,  highly  incensed  by  this 
allusion— all  the  more  severe  for  its  bitter  truth— arose,  ordered 
his  horse,  and  rode  away  in  haste.  Brian,  when  he  heard  it, 
despatched  a  messenger  after  the  indignant  guest,  begging  him 
to  return,  but  Maelmurra  was  not  to  be  pacified,  and  refused. 
We  next  hear  of  him  as  concerting  with  certain  Danish  agents, 
always  open  to  such  negotiations,  those  measures  which  led  to 
the  great  invasion  of  the  year  1014,  in  which  the  whole  Scanian 
race,  from  Anglesea  and  Man,  north  to  Norway,  bore  an  active 
share. 

These  agents  passing  over  to  England  and  Man,  among  the 
Scottish  isies  and  even  to  the  Baltic,  followed  up  the  design  of 
an  invasion  on  a  gigantic  scale,    Suibne,   Earl    of  Man,  entered 
warmly  into  the  conspiracy,  and  sent  "  the  war  arrow"  through 
all  those  "  out-islands"  which  obeyed  him  as  Lord.    A  yet  more 
formidable  potentate,  Sigurd,  of  the  Orkneys,  next  joined  the 
league.    He  was  the  fourteenth  "Sari  of  Orkney  of  Norse  origin, 
and  his  power  was,  at  this  period,  a  balance  to  that  of  his  nearest 
neighbor,  the  King  of  Scots.     He  had  ruled  since  the  year  996. 
not  only  over  the  Orkneys,  Shetland,  and  Northern  Hebrides^ 
but  the  coasts  of  Caithness  and  Sutherland,  and  even  Ross  and 
Moray  rendered  him  homage  and  tribute.    Eight  years  before 
the  battle  of  Clontarf,  Malcolm  II.,  of  Scotland,  had  been  feigu 
to  purchase  his  alliance,  by  giving  him  his  daughter  in  marriage, 
and  the  Kings  of  Denmark  and  Norway  treated  with  him  on 
equal  terms.    The  hundred  inhabited  isles  which  lie  between 
Yell  and   Man,— isles  which  after  their  conversion   contained 
"three  hundred  churches  and    chapels"— sent  in  their  con- 
tingents, to  swell  the  following  of  the  renowned  Earl  Sigurd. 
As  his  fleet  bore  southward  from  Kirkwall  it  swept  the  subject 
coast  of  Scotland,  and  gathered  from  every  lough  its  galleys  and 
its  fighting  men.    The  rendezvous  was  the  Isle  of  Man,  where  • 
Suibne  had  placed  his  own  forces,  under  the  command  of  Brodar 
or  Broderick,  a  famous  leader  against  the  Britons  of  Wales  and 
Cornwall.     In  conjunction  with  Sigurd,  the  Manxmen   sailed 
over  to  Ireland,  where  they  were  joined,  in  tlxe  Liffey,  by  Carl 
Oa,nut«8oa,  Prince  of  Denmark,  at  the  head  of  1,400  champions 
9 


POPULAR   HISTOBT    OF   IRELAND. 


Clad  in  armor.    Sitrick  of  Dublin  stood,  or  affected  to  st.n^ 

— i^uTer^T"^'  ^"  Mael^urratrillr:^ 
mustered  all  the  forces  he  could  command  for  such  an  exne 

0  Byrne,  and  was  followed  in  his  alliances  by  others  of  the 
descendants  of  Cahir  More.    O'Nolan  and  O'More,  with  a  trfe^ 
Bense  of  duty,  fought  on  the  patriotic  side 
^  Brian  had  not  been  ignorant  of  the  exertions  which  were 
mde  dunng  the  summer  and  winter  of  the  year  1013  to  com 

exce  llnce  r;'/!^  ''  ^ --«fy'"»"  to  every  believer  in  human 
excellence  to  find  h.m  actively  supported  by  the  Prince  whom 

1013  had^XTf  tr '•     ^'^'^^'^'  ^"^"»"  ''^  — " 
1U13  had,  mdeed,  lost  two  sons  in  skirmishes  with  Sitrick  and 

^:^Zm'  T  '''  ''"^'"^  ''^  ^^"  P— •  wrongs  to  ven 
but  he  cordially  co-operated  with  Brian  before  those  occurrenc'es' 
and   now  loyally  seconded  all  his  movements.      Th    l"  dTof 
the  southern  half-kingdom-the  lords  of  Desies,  Fermoy     n  hi 

and  o'nJ      IT-  ^"""^"^''*'  hastened  to  his  standard.    O'Mo^I 
and  ONoWLemster,  and  Donald,  Steward  of  Marr  in  ScoT 

ieslrtC^fT^'^^":^"  ^^'^  ''-^'  ^^-  bef^e'^lonrrt 
besdes  those  of  his  own  kindred.    None  of  the  Northern  Hy 

and  communicated  with  hia  shin..  ,1,.  •  .    7     .  ^n^nv. 

intherooftof  n  .1         ""™'P'-  *»  mland  point  terminating 

iieaa  ot  Howa.    The  meadow  land  between  sloped  lentlv  „n. 
vard  and  mward  from  the  beach,  and  for  the  myriad  duel,  wlZ 

rio":"":*' ""'■''''  "•"■"  ^^'-"-  p"- 

ta  e  ground  to  combatants  on  either  side.    The  invadinc  fore. 
haa  p„sses„„„  „f  both  wings,  so  that  Brian's  am,/wh  ch  ha' 

t-gber  up,  and  marched  round  by  the  present  Drumcondra  ta 


N 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAKD. 


09 


ed  to  stand, 
Leinstor  Iia«] 
ich  an  expe- 
il  family  of 
tilers  of  the 
with  a  truer 

which  were 
>13,  to  com- 
exertions  to 
ir  in  human 
'ince  whom 
summer  of 
Sitrick  and 
I  to avenge; 
Jcurrences, 
le  lords  of 
loy,  Inchi- 
fHy-Many 
1.    O'More 
r,  in  Scot- 
e  Clontarf, 
them  Ily. 
Brian,  but 

along  tho 
lie  ancient 
ontory  of 
e  enemy, 
rminating 
)  lion-like 
[ently  up- 
els  which 
itive  van- 
lug  force 
hich  had 
le  Liflfey 
ondra  in 


*¥» 


order  to  reach  the  appointed  field.  The  day  seems  to  have  been 
decided  ou  by  formal  challenge,  for  we  are  told  Brian  dirl  not 
wish  to  fight  in  the  last  week  of  Lent,  but  a  Pagan  oracle  having 
assured  victory  to  Brodar,  one  of  the  northern  leadei-s,  if  he  en- 
gaged on  a  Friday,  the  invaders  insiotod  on  being  led  to  battle  on 
that  day.  And  it  so  happened  that,  of  all  Fridays  in  the  year,  it 
fell  on  the  Friday  before  Easter :  that  awful  anniversary  when 
the  altars  of  the  Church  are  veiled  throughout  Christen<."ora,  and 
the  dark  stone  is  rolled  to  the  door  of  the  mystic  sepulchre. 

The  forces  on  both  sides  could  not  have  fallen  short  of  twenty 
thousand  men.    Under  Carl  Canuteson  fought  "  the  ten  hundred 
in  armor,''  as  they  are  called  in  the  Irish  annals,  or  "  the  four- 
teen hundred,"  as  they  are  called  in  northern  chronicles ;  undei 
Broder,  the  Manxmen  and  the  Danes  of  Anglesea  and  Wales ; 
under  Sigurd,  the  men  of  Orkney  and  its  dependencies  ;  under 
Maelmurra,  of  Leinster,  his  own  tribe,  and  their  kinsmen  of 
Offally  and  Cullen— the  modern  Kildare  and  Wicklow ;    under 
Brian's  son,  Morrogh,  were  the  tribes  of  Munster ;  under  the 
command  of  Malachy,  those  of  Meath ;  under  the  lord  of  Hy- 
Many,  the  men  of  Connaught ;  and  the  Stewart  of  Marr  had  also 
his  command.     The  engagement  was  to  commence  with  the 
morning,  so  that,  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  Brian,  Crucifix  in  hand, 
harangued  his  army.     "  On  this  day  Christ  died  for  you  T  was 
the  spirit-stirring  appeal  of  the  venerable  Christian  King.    At 
the  entreaty  of  his  friends,  after  this  review,  he  retired  to  his 
tent,  which  stood  at  some  distance,  and  was  guarded  by  three  of 
his  aids.    Here,  he  alternately  prostrated  himself  before  the 
Crucifix,  or  looked  out  from  the  tent  door  upon  the  dreadful 
scene  that  lay  beyond.     The  sun  rose  to  the  zenith  and  took  his 
way  towards  the  west,  but  still  the  roar  of  the  battle  did  not  abate. 
Sometimes  as  their  right  hands  swelled  with  the  sword-hilts, 
well-known  warriors  might  be  seen  falling  back  to  bathe  them, 
in  a  neighboring  spring,  and  then  rushing  agam  into  the  melee. 
The  line  of  the  engagement  extended  from  tho  salmon-weir 
towards  Howth,  not  less  than  a  couple  of  miles,  so  that  it  was 
impossible  to  take  in  at  A  glance  the  probabilities  of  victory. 
Once  during  the  heat  of  the  day  one  of  his  servants  said  to  Brian, 
"  a  vast  multitude  are  moving  towards  us."    "  What  sort  of  peo 


lOO 


POPCIAR    HI8T0RT   OF   IMtASD. 


pie  are  th«y  ?"  inquired  Brian     ■•  Th.„  . 

in  armor  -•■  Tlie  utmrf„rr  .  *'°*'  ""^ ""  «•«  "»"«, 
Earl  Of  Orkns;,C,wS;:rT„r''''''"' """""'''''•  »'»°--<'. 
Anr„d,„neof  Oo  „apU,L'f  i'  '  *""''™  "'  »*"i  »"<« 
Of  his  father,  MorroT^  h  th  Lf"  '°/™"'  "'^  ""  "-"O 
dreadful  conflict :  Mae  nml  C  ITl  '""'""'  '"""""  '»  'h" 
«..e  aide,  and  Conain,,  nTp^.^'i^r' -^;';:-<''.  ^e"  »„ 
the  Stewart  of  Marr,  on  the  other  Hirdiv, '  k^  ^  ^°°'  '"'' 
escaped,  or  sought  to  escape     Thl  ,      u  ^  """^  """•"  "•» 

three th„„sa„doIhersoft:Ze»rwitra;ouTa„"' '",''™°^' ""■' 
the  men  „f  Ireland,  laydead  upoMhe  /eW  o„eT  ""'"''7 ■•' 
enemy  were,  towards  sunset    retrrr       .'  '""»" "' "'« 

Brodar,  the  Vilcin.,  percevnt  t^.  ..'"*,  ^  ""'■■•  ='''P''  "•■» 
Without  a  guard,;;?  r  ™ed  ^i^r'on  hf  I!'  "^"f "'  '^"^ 
Cruciflx,  rushed  in,  cut  him  down  rfth","  ^ f,7  "^^7  ""« 
continued  his  flight     Rnf  h.  '      ^'*^"''  «"d  f'en 

despatched  by  the  most      .e^I  Z'"^"'"  "'  "■"  «"''^''' ''"'« 
the  fleld  of  Jttle,  ^ITo'T^^y^T  T"'';     ""''■  "" 

«ry,  an/  nof  thetZt  t^,:    f';  sTsSlr;,'"  ""  ■»'"'■ 
enemies.    In  death  a«.  in  v,f^  k  ^  ^®'^»if  *«  his 

The  deceased  he  .0  a''    ;;;:::  t  "  »™  "  »'  «>«  tWbutes." 
and  foreign.    On  heari„/„,  h,s  ^ath     °T  '"  ^'"^"-  ""«°°'" 
Armagh,  came  with  hH  c^gyTLl^''""^- ^1'''*'''''°^  "' 
ducted  the  body  to  Armagh,  where  tlh  W.T      T'  """  °°"- 
the  Lord  of  Desies,  h,  wa's  so   m^fy  lt7"ira"'''r""' 
The  fame  of  the  event  iv»nf      *  *u        "'®'^'^®^     ^"  »  new  tomb." 

ieles  or^^CorllZZ  ofTuMh""""'-,  "'  ''""'■ 

the  defeat  Of  thetrL^rLrXX-'Ir''™""™ 
"  Orkney's  woe  and  Randver'a  bane." 


I 


FOPULAR    HISTORT    OF   IRELAND. 


101 


iked  people," 
ire  the  Danes 
ios.     Sigurd, 
Bn'an;  and 
by  the  hand 
rished  in  the 
lords,  fell  on 
'Heyne,  and 
7  born  man 
armor,  and 
1  number  of 
ision  of  the 
hips,  when 
ding  apart, 
before  the 
,  and  then 
?uard,  and 
Thus,  on 
our  Loru's 
itive  land 
his  mem- 
'sr  to  his 
tributes." 
,  national 
bishop  of 
and  con- 
>hew  and 
V  tomb." 
e  chron- 
Ademar 
1  record 
i^ail  over 


'alhalla 
wegian 


^•■'■■i 


prince  is  Introduced  as  asking  after  his  men,  and  the  answer  is 
'  they  were  all  killed."  Malcolm  of  Scotland  rejoiced  in  the  d©« 
feat  and  death  of  his  dangerous  and  implacable  neighbor, 
"Brian's  battle,"  as  it  is  called  in  the  Sagas,  was,  in  short 
such  a  defeat  as  prevented  any  general  northern  combinatioa 
for  the  subsequent  invasion  of  Ireland.  Not  that  the  country 
was  entirely  free  from  their  attacks  till  the  end  of  the  eleventh 
century,  but  from  the  day  of  Clontarf  forward,  the  long  cherished 
Northern  idea  of  a  conquest  of  Ireland,  seems  to  have  been  gloom, 
ily  abandoned  by  that  indomitable  people. 


■•♦• 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BFFECTg    OF    THB    BIVALRT    OF    BRIAN   AND    UALACHT    OK   THR 
ANCIENT    CONSTITUTION. 

If  a  great  battle  is  to  be  acccounted  lost  or  won,  as  it  affecta 
principles  rather  than  reputations,  then  Brian  lost  at  Clontarf. 
The  leading  ideas  of  his  long  and  politic  life  were,  evidently, 
centralization  and  an  hereditary  monarchy.  To  beat  back  for- 
eign invasion,  to  conciliate  and  to  enlist  the  Irish-bom  Danes 
under  his  standard,  were  prelimmary  steps.  For  Morrogh,  his 
first-born,  and  for  Morrogh's  descendants,  he  hoped  to  found  an 
hereditary  kinship  after  the  type  universally  copied  throughout 
Christendom.  He  was  not  ignorant  of  what  Alfred  had  done  for 
England,  Harold  for  Norway,  Charlemagne  for  France,  and  Otho 
for  Germany ;  and  it  was  inseparable  from  his  imperial  genius 
to  desire  to  reign  in  his  posterity,  long  after  his  own  brief  term 
of  sway  should  be  forever  ended.  A  new  centre  of  royal  au- 
thority  should  be  established  on  the  banks  of  the  great  middle 
river  of  the  island— itself  the  best  bond  of  union,  as  it  was  the 
best  highway  of  intercourse ;  the  Dalgais  dynasty  should  there 
flourish  for  ages,  and  the  descendants  of  Brian  of  the  Tributes, 
through  after  centuries,  eclipse  the  glory  of  the  descendants  of 


102 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT    OP   IRELAND. 


'K'-i 


eleaily  was  nl.  "  oeTe^L It  J7  ""■°""-  """T-  ■■. 
the  old  legitimate  elecZl  J  ?  ''°"'"'  ''''  ""  "«»■■  »' 
because  hi  desil  !.,  ^l  Tf ''''° '  ■•'"'»"»'i™"t  he  was  not, 

e..est  sen  J^ZZj^CtZ'tZV::''  "-'>. "'  "'" 

With  hin,,  anrhth*fh„T'"''™  =*"'•'''■""''''«  heir 
like  the  Eoyal  Oak  a  a1  '  '"■*'"^''  '""^''  "'^'^'J'. 
destroyed.  Z  a  neXt;;  I^H  T' "T  ""*  "^  '»'^  '-^ 
putable  hei«  is  ruto„l  ,"   5  ""Idenly  without  indis- 

in  this  the  ZZZZlZTr  """  '"""^''-    ^"'J 
Constitution.    Not  from  «^!  *„Tt  '''*'"^''™  ">  ">«  Celtic 

the  day  Of  Clontarfr  mal  tf tfe"""""  T"'""'  ""'  '""" 
monarchy.    ThesnelloCn!^  .       J      ™'"  "'  ""  "W  e'^toral 
a..d  a  new  one  :r  t  ~^^-'';™'  e<r-t„,„y  broken 
pensable.  wa,  not  .iven.    1^^:^-,^  f™^;  "l"'";  '-  -^i- 
oeeded  immediately  t„  himseH'  ^„  rf  ,  °       '  ^^""  "»=- 
Murrogh-s  heir  fen.  in  the  ZtI        a   v   """■'  ''"'™e'',   and 
•t  Brian  had  no  direc    1^  ,f T       ^'""-     ^'«'  "'"e--  =ons 
enough,  the  depose    l^'est^'tr'^l"'"'  ""'"""^ 
without  the  consent  of  Munster  but  »1  .    """"  ""  "'°'"'"'''- 
Prince,,  who  had  witnesi  w»1,    n  ""P™™'  °'  °"  ">» 

.scendancy„fthes::TKl:l '";L:m  r  "'^ '"^  ™^''^'' 
for  Brian,  by  the  cascade  of  SioeTh^  T  ^^  ^'^  "'''  ''""™''"8 
.legy  o«r  a  lord  of  BrefTnt  wasstog  ^l"''""'  "'  ^"™-  *"  - 

"paCilrettK/'cXjii-^*"'" 

A  new  dynasty  is  rarely  the  work  of  nno  «t.i 
by  genius,  it  must  be  built  unhv«  /  ""'"•    ^"^'^"^^ 

before  it  becomes  an  esse^Jpa'^^^^^^^^  ''  l^""^  ^^^^ 

So  all  history  teachesJlt IT  ,  V  "''"'^''^'^  °^  *^^  S^*«- 
Brian,  very  clL^m^Va  s  th^^^^^^^^  ^^  f  ^  '^^^^^  ^^ 
when  a  nation  breaks  „p  of  itself  or  fr  T    "^  *'"'  ''  ''  "^^' 

-  «K>n  eon^lidated  ^  J:^^Z  ^::Z^Z  I 


1    I!' 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


103 


•rojector  of 
[Usurper  he 
e  action  of 
le  was  not, 
eath  of  his 
eiations  of 
'  field ;  yet 
id  his  heir 
I  dynasty, 
very  roots 
lout  indis- 
«ns.    And 
the  Celtic 
l>ut  from 

electoral 
y  broken 
as  indis- 
rian  suc- 
>gh,  and 
her  sons 
uiturally 
(lonarch, 
r  all  the 

sudden 
men  tins' 
a,  in  an 


'Signed 
rinces, 
State, 
ith  of 
it  that 
and  is 
suit  ia 


the  aggrandizement  of  a  few  great  families.    Thus  it  was  in  Rome 
when  Julius  was  assassinated,  and  in  Italy,  when  the  empire  of 
the  west  foil  to  pieces  of  its  own  weight.    The  kindred  of  the 
late  sovereign  will  be  sure  to  have  a  party,  the  chief  innovators 
will  have  a  party,  and  there  is  likely  to  grow  up  a  third,  or  . 
moderate  party.    So  it  fell  out  in  Ireland.    The  Hy-Nials  of  the 
north,  deprived  of  the  succession,  rallied  about  the  Princes  of 
Aileach  as  their  head.    Meath,  left  crownless,  gave  room  to  the 
ambition  of  the  sons  of  Malachy,  who,  under  the  name  of  O'Me- 
laghlin,  took  provincial  rank.        Ossory,  like  Issachar,  long 
groaning  teneath  the  burdens  of  Tara  and  of  Cashel,  cruelly  re- 
venged on  the  Dalgais,  returning  from  Clontarf,  the  subjection 
to  wiiich  Mahon  and  Brian  had  forcibly  reduced  that  border- 
land.   Tiie  Eugenians  of  Desmond  withdrew  in  disgust  from  the 
banner  of  Donogh  O'Brien,  because  he  had  openly  proclaimed 
his  hostility  to  the  alternate  succession,  and  left  his  surviving 
clansmen  an  easy  prey  to  the  enraged  Ossorians.    Leinster  soon 
afterwards   passed    from   the    house   of   O'Byme   to  that   of 
McMurrogh.    The  O'Briens  maintained  their  dominant  interest 
in    the   south,  as,   after  many  local   struggles,   the    O'Conors 
did  in  the  west.    For  a  hundred  and  fifty  years,  after  the  death 
of  Malachy  II.,  the  history  of  Ireland  is  mainly  the  history  of 
these  five  families,  O'Neila,  O'Melaghlins,  McMurroghs,  O'Briens 
and  O'Conors.    And  for  ages  after  the  Normans  enter  on  the 
scene,  the  same  provincialized  spirit,  the  same  family  ambitions, 
feuds,  hates,  and  coalitions,  with    some  exceptional  passages, 
characterize  the  whole  history.    Not  that  there  will  be  found  any 
want  of  heroism,  or  piety,  or  self-sacrifice,  or  of  any  virtue  or 
faculty,  necessary  to  constitute  a  state,  save  and  except  tha 
power  of  combination,  alone.    Thus,  judged  by  what  came  aftef 
him,  and  wliat  was  happening  in  the  world  abrcid,  Brian's  design 
to  ve-eiitralize  tlie  island,  seems  the  highest  dictate  of  political 
wisdom,  in  tlie  condition  to  which  the  Norwegian  and    Danish 
wars  had  reduced  it,  previous  to  his  elevation  to  the  monarchy. 

Malachy  II. — of  the  events  of  whose  second  reign  some  men- 
tion will  be  made  hereafter— held  the  sovereignty  after  Brian's 
death,  until  the  year  1023,  when  he  died  an  edifying  death  in 
one  of  the  islands  of  Lough  Ennel,  near  the  present  Mullingar* 


104 


!       M 


*  f 


^f. 


I ' 


S 


POPULAR    HISTOUr    Of   IRELAND. 


"  ACtor  the  hnppy  MolaghUn 
Son  of  DoniUd,  aon  of  Donogh, 
Each  noble  king  ralod  bis  own  tribe 
But  Esia  owned  no  sovereign  Lord." 

n.i:;:r  ::r„„:'*'„7" -xrr  r^"-  -*-r 

emp'oy  a  phrase  flrsi  appl'e  \,  Th!  °f^""'  -"«"««■•»■>"- to 
'■AftorMalachy's  death  °L„«,,,  ''""''"''=  •^""^e'-alion. 

»o>se, .. «,.  kfn:r :.:  htr^r;^^^^ 

time  Hw  reahu  was  ffovem.rt  i,„  .      ,        ->* )«»",  during  which 
Con  0'L«,han,  a  wXZd  m  r™""  ""^ '  ""  »"»  <^''"<'<' 

.a...,  «,e  „«,.  coiiTn™  i  ™r  ::r;^^ 

was  anchorite  of  all  Irelanrl  wi,.  •        !"  ?  ^^^^  "^^^  ^hat 

The  land  w.  ^dlfjat'sr  ^^7  "'  ''^■"°™- 
ty  tlieni."    Notlnn.  can  show  f.h.        n  ''''° "  '"™»™''y 

.ti«o„  in  the  eleven  ,e:t„ryc,crur,f''°  '""'  ""'■ 
No  one  Prince  could  rally  strenLf"     i '    .     "  '""'•'•''g™'"-  • 
two  Arbitrator,,  an  illulTrilurpl  ,      ?     °  '"'  °'''='°'''  '"  """ 
pointed  to  ta.e'co.ni:r„r:  n"^!:"  alt'^  ri'  "°-7- 
together  of  a  Priest  nnrl  n  lo causes.     The  associating 

is  oo„c,u,i.  pr::r  ttZd^rcSrnr r " 

during  the  Da.iish  period  was  nev.r  „n  T"'  '^^  »"*>' 
Con  O'Lochan  haviL  beenWlledTn  ^  ^'"T  ""'"'"^  ™''°"«>- 
tion,  the  holy  Corcr™  eze,ci  ed  '  f'"'  "  '^ort  juriadic 

-is  decease,  Ihich  CprnM  Tli  2:7;';^J;:,™;" t"' """^ 
produced  a  raw  narowsm  ^f  o        ,         ^         ^'^^'^    '^'^  death 

feer  arose,  amonftrtXrlrSer""' JL^''^'"  "n"""  "^^'"- 
of  Donogh,   who  died  (A  n  Ift^  T      ,  ^  "^™"''  ^™ 

boen  a  me  o  infan*  ^  it  ^i        ^'  "'""  "™"'''  ""'"  "«'» 

H.e  yearl032  andthe  a  !„r  ""' ^'"■"  '"  ">»  """=^'  «" 
looked  in  Ga,      c    „:r'''"T'/"rr-Mo".  -er- 

WI.0  became  Kin.  7let Ir  ^f  ,  l'  *■"  "'"""-ogll 

-  O-Byrne  .amS,  ^^  ::  ^Z::^  ^^Z 


KfE:i»ja.imBa.'!figK  wa 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


106 


terf,  wfw  deposed  by  O'Nell  in  1036,  and  retired  to  a  monw- 
tery  in  Cologne,  where  he  died  in  1062.  in  1030  or  1037 
Dcrmid  captured  Dublin  and  Waterford,  married  the  grand- 
daughter of  Brian,  and  by  '41  was  strong  enough  to  assume  the 
rank  of  ruler  of  the  southern  half-kingdom.  This  dignity  he 
held  with  a  strong  and  warlike  hand  thirty  years,  when  he  fell 
In  battle,  at  Ova,  in  Meath.  He  must  have  been  at  that  time  full 
threescore  years  and  ten.  He  is  described  by  the  elegiac  Barda 
as  of  "  ruddy  complexion,"  "  with  teeth  laughing  in  danger," 
and  possessing  all  the  virtues  of  a  warrior-king;  "  whose  death," 
adds  the  lamentation,  "  brought  scarcity  of  peace"  with  it,  so  that 
'•■  there  will  not  be  peace,"  "  there  will  not  be  armistice,"  between 
Meath  and  Leinster.  It  may  well  be  imagined  that  every  nevr 
resort  to  the  two-third  test,  in  the  election  of  Ard-Righ,  should 
bring  "  scarcity  of  peace"  to  Ireland.  We  can  easily  understand 
the  fei-ment  of  hope,  fear,  intrigue,  and  passion,  which  such 
an  occasion  caused  among  the  great  rival  families.  What 
canvassing  there  was  in  Kincora  and  Cashel,  nt  Cruachan  and 
Aileach,  and  at  Fernamore!  What  piecing  and  patching  of 
interests,  what  libels  on  opposing  candidates,  what  exultation  in 
the  successful,  what  discontent  in  the  defeated  camp  1 

The  successful  candidate  for  the  southern  half-kingdom  aftei 
Dermid's  death  was  Thorlogh,  grandson  of  Brian,  and  foster-son 
of  the  late  ruler.  In  his  reign,  which  lasted  thirty-three  years, 
the  political  fortunes  of  his  house  revived.  He  died  in  peace  at 
Kinkora,  A.  D.  1087,  and  the  war  of  succession  again  broke  out. 
The  rival  candidates  at  this  period  were  Murrogh  O'Brien,  son 
of  the  late  king,  whose  ambition  was  to  complete  the  design  of 
Brian,  and  Donald,  Prince  of  Aileach,  the  leader  of  the  Northern 
Hy-Nials.  Two  abler  men  seldom  divided  a  country  by  their 
equal  ambition.  Both  are  entered  in  the  annals  as  "  Kings  of 
Ireland,"  but  it  is  hard  to  discover  that,  during  all  the  years  of  their 
contest,  either  of  them  submitted  to  the  other.  To  chronicle  all 
the  incidents  of  the  struggle  would  take  too  much  space  here ; 
and,  as  was  to  be  expected,  a  third  party  profited  most  by  it ;  the 
\V«!St  came  in,  in  the  person  of  O'Conor,  to  lord  it  over  both 
North  and  South,  and  to  add  another  element  to  the  dynastio 
confusion. 


108 


!l       i 


ill 


POPBliB    HISTOnr    OF    IRELAND. 


This  brief  abstract  of  our  civil  afftin,  after  tlw  dmlh  nf  nrln„ 
present,  u.  ,vith  th.  «tra„„,i„a^.p«„e,.  o  a  co "   ry  „^S 

-..piteof  al  ,,tem«I  ai><l  external  danger,.  Everythi™  now 
depended  „„  individual  ge„iu»  .„d  ,„,,^y  noll,i„/o„  vsJm' 
»»«g.,  or  pre.criptio„.  Each  leading  L.ily  and  elcht^ 
vmce  became   1„  turn,  the  head  of  1  staW.    TheTuprel 

obtomed  ,t,  for  in  no  case  is  there  a  lineal  descent  of  the  crown 

Zz::!  r'' "  "'•"""^  "»'"™"^  >'"  ^°v^^ 

nent  patrimony  to  an  uncertoin  tenure  of  Tnro .   „      J 

attached  to  a  i^aiity  b.a„,  „f  ::zl::lz:iz  r 

«feZ  "T'  "■'  """"■■  "'"8  "'  "■""'■'d  might  for  one 

.fetme  reign  by  the  Shannon,  in  the  „e«  by  the  Ban,    iH 

ered  a  merely  personal  appurten«,ce,  was  carried  about  in  the 

ana  decaying  by  every  transposition  It  underwent.    Herein  we 

."i:;r:j"^  •"™'-  --  - "» -cuencr^o;- 

h„t™  M  K*"  '"°™  °'^"''  *'"  *'"  '""»  Of  «™»'»  «Sain«t  which 
he  w  uld  have  provided  a  sharp  remedy  in  the  her;iitary  pri„ 

pos^e  sor  ^f  Z  ?°  T'  "'"'■  '"  ^'  '"  <=»"'""«'  Malachj'th, 
possessor  of  legitimate  power,  if  he  saw  In  that  remedy  only  th. 

tTer  1™!     .  .r?"  ^''-'-e'^of  "form  and  conservatism; 
the  reformer  and  the  heirs  of  hi,  work  were  cut  off  on  Clontarf 

Incietirf  '■'"  """"  "'■•"='■"'  ""«"-"  «»-trai„Tr; 
ancient  salutary  usage  and  prejudice,  and  the  land  remained  . 

tanpting  prey  to  such  Adventurers,  foreign  or  native,™  dlr! 

i«.dertak»  to  n>omi  power  out  of  it.  ch«,tic  materiab. 


POPULAR    I1I9T0RT    OF    IREi  AND. 


107 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LATTEH   DATS   OP   THE   NOUTHMEN   IN   IBELAKD. 

Tuonan  Ireland  dat-is  the  decay  of  Scandinavian  power  from 
Good  Friday,  1014,  yet  tlio  North  did  not  wholly  cease  to  send 
forth  its  warriors,  nor  were  the  shores  of  the  western  Island   less 
teniptiii':?  to  tliein  tlian  before.    Tlie  second  year  after  the  battle 
of  Clontarf,  Canute  founded  his  Danish  dynasty  in   England, 
which  existed  in  no  little  splendor  during  thirty-seven  years. 
The  Saxon  line  was  restored  by  Edward  "  the  Confessor,"  in  the 
forty-third  year  of  the  century,  only  to  be  extinguished  forever 
by  the  Norman  conquest  twenty-three  years  later.     Scotland, 
during  tlie  same  years,  was  more  than  once  subject  to  invasion 
ftom  "the  same  ancient  enemy.     Malcolm  II.,  and  the  brave 
usut-()or  Macbeth,  fought  several  engagements  with  the  northern 
leaders,  ana  generally  with  brilliant  success.    By  a  remarkable 
coincidence,  the  Scottish  chronicles  also  date  the  decadence  of 
Danish  power  on  their  coasts  from  1014,  though  several  engage- 
ments were  fought  in  Scotland  after  that  year. 

Malachy  II.  had  promptly  followed  up  the  victory  of  Clontarf 
by  the  capture  of  Dublin,  the  destruction  of   its  fort,  and  the 
exemplary  chastisement  of  the  tribes   of  Leinster,   who  had 
joined  Maelmurra  as  allies  of  the  Danes.     Sitrick  himself  seems 
to  have  eluded  the  suspicions  and  vengeance  of  the  conquerors 
by  a  temporary  exile,  as  we  find  in  the  succession  of  the  Dublin 
Vikings,  "  one  Hynian,  an  usurper,"  entered  as  ruling  "  part  of 
a  year  while  Sitrick  was  in  banishment."    His  family  interest, 
however,  was  strong  among  the  native  Princes,  and  whatever 
his  secret  sympathies  may  have  been  he  had  taken  no  active 
part  against  them  in  the  battle  of  Clontarf.    By  his  mother,  the 
Lady  Gormley  of  Offally,  he  was  a  half  O'Conor ;  by  marriagw 
he  was  son-in-law  of  Brian,   and  uterine  brother  of  Malachy. 
After  his  return  to  Dublin,  when,  in  1018,  Bran,  son  of  Maet 


108 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IBKLAND. 


murra,  fell  prisoner  into  his  hands,  as  if  to  clear  him.Mf  «/ 
hngeroa  susmVinn  «f  „„       j       i  *«  u  to  cjear  Himself  of  any 

menC  in  that  a 'e     This  1  "^^  7f  '"'  """""""^  ?»"'*- 

gave  him  a  severe  defeat  at  DelJa„  Evln  ,  r'  '"^^ 
died  seven  veaia  I«,r  .hi  I    '^'^  ""»''«  ontlived,  and 

fortress,  fly  la-i  Se  hirfr^""  '°^*  °'  ""  '""  -" 
was  succeeded  by  wst^  .Id  "T'""  '^  """  ««»•  "» 
tl.e  remaining  .lulZ^y'^''^'  ""  ^''«-="-^-  -i-ng 

Mita„'r;:^rini^t':;B:^  '^t-  -^  '"^  ^^'-^  <>' 

Claimant  ^f  the  sir  l^'y'^^d'to  tt  TT7  """"" 
rogb,  another  branoi,  ^f  4^  '^®  ^'^'^''^  «^  McMur- 

-5  m.t  tiSel'K  n^Tlir^-,  u"^™^"'  "■'  "''' 
Waterford  (A  D  lftft7^  o,,^  L  ^'"^'^'^  ^f  tins  house,  took 

..  ...sts  .XrTiit^irrf^v'Tr-  '?t "- "-" 

continued  their  homi<rt,  ic  fi,   1  ^""^^  ^^  Limerick 

fucrii  nomage  to  the  house  of  Kinkora  whn^  4U  j 

to  .-nit  the::t:'L,xt:Lti[r:rtr™"'  ''^""» 

Princes,  to  march  with  U,™  to  1.^ '    .  .  '^  **  neighboring 

of  Man,  or  Wales,  where  tboyZ^yZ.V"  "' 
mercenaries  in  the  service  ofLT^al     Z  ""  " 

battles  only  as  contingents  llfh  T  '^'""yPP'"'- to  Irish 
«>v„  leaders  andrco"'™^^.?  "a""  armies-led  by  their 
In  the  year  1073Th! "Zl^    TiT'  ""'  "''"''^'^  force. 

T.orioi,and^ri"o9r:rriJh7?;t„tr''^ 
a^rdof  the  ^rsi^itfthrii':?;:  "-'»-'- 

V^  We^W,  <rf  «,e«.  ,rUh.fi«,,  before  S^  ^  .hn»  „, 


mself  of  any 
family,  he 
lary  punish* 
adiy  enmity 
year  1022, 
utlived,  and 
is  town  and 
t  title,     lie 
son  during 

defeat  of 
an  of  other 
'f  McMur- 
1,  the  first 
)use,  took 
at  we  find 

Limerick 
le  the  de3« 
tlieir  sov- 
rd  began 
ighboring 
}  peaceful 

Danish 
ttempt  of 
Hford,  in 
[id  when 
few  sub- 
the  Isle 
iaries  or 
*  in  Iriah 
)y  their 
;e  force, 
lonarcb 
hey  re- 
is  king, 
milyaa 

uueof 


I   ! 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


109 


Brian,  may  be  estimated  by  the  annua  tribute  which  Limerick  paid 
to  that  Prince— a  pipe  of  red  wine  for  every  day  in  the  year. 
In  the  year  1029,  Olaf,  son  of  Sitrick,  of  Dublin,  being  taken  pri- 
soner by  0  Regan,  the  lord  of  East-Meath,  paid  for  his  ransom— 
"  twelve  hundred  cows,  seven  score  British  horses,  three  score 
ounces  of  gold!"  sixty  ounces  of  white  silver  as  his  "fetter- 
ounce  ;"  the  sword  of  Carius,  besides  the  usual  legal  fees,  for 
recording  these  profitable  formalities. 

Being  now  Christians,  they  also  began  to  found  and  endow 
churches,  with  the  same  liberality  with  which  their  Pagan  fathers 
had  once  enriched  the  temples  of  Upsala  and  Trondheim.  The 
oldest  religious  foundations  in  the  seaports  they  possessed  owe 
their  origin  to  them ;  but  even  as  Christians,  they  did  not  lose 
sight  of°  their  nationality.  They  contended  for,  and  obtained 
Dano-Irish  Bishops,  men  of  their  own  race,  speaking  their  own 
speech,  to  preside  over  the  sees  of  Dublin,  Waterford  and  Lim- 
erick. When  the  Irish  Synods  or  Primates  asserted  over  them 
any  supervision  which  they  were  unwilling  to  admifr— except  in 
the  case  of  Saint  Malachy— they  usually  invoked  the  protection 
of  the  See  of  Canterbury,  which,  after  the  Norman  conquest  of 
England,  became  by  far  the  most  powerful  Archbishopric  in  either 

island. 

In  the  third  quarter  of  this  century  there  arose  in  the  Isle  of 
Man  a  fortunate  leader,  who  may  almost  be  called  the  last  of  the 
sea  kings.  This  was  Godard  Crovan  (the  white-handed),  son  of 
an  Icelandic  Prince,  and  one  of  the  followers  of  Harald  Harfagar 
and  Eari  Tosti,  in  their  invasion  of  Northumbria  (A.  D.  1066> 
Returning  from,the  defeat  of  his  chiefs,  Godard  saw  and  seized 
upon  Man  as  the  centre  of  future  expeditions  of  his  own,  in  the 
course  of  which  he  subdued  the  Hebrides,  divided  them  with  the 
gallant  Somerled,  (ancestor  of  the  MacDonalds  of  the  Isles,)  and 
established  his  son  Lagman  (afterwards  put  to  death  by  King 
Magnus  Barefoot)  as  his  viceroy  in  the  Orkneys  and  Shetlands. 
The  weakened  condition  of  the  Danish  settlement  at  Dublin  at- 
tracted his  ambition,  and  where  he  entered  as  a  mediator  he  re- 
mained as  a  master.  In  the  succession  of  the  Dublin  Vikings  he  ia 
assigned  a  reign  of  ten  years,  and  his  whole  course  of  conquesi 
iMems  to  have  occupied  some  twenty  years  (A,  D.  1077  to  1098\ 
10 


no 


roPDiAB  HiSTonr  of  iriiand. 


At  length  the  «tar  of  thisVikincrr^'fi,.  r  •  v 

mightier  name  of  a  kin,  IrNl^"' '     !"""  ""'  ^^'"^  '»«'«  *• 

«on  ha.,   a  stiu   Zi:^  ZCZ  ""'V'''^' "''''■ 
Mled,  it  is  said  from  hiLT.'-  '"'''  *"  *'S  Magnui 

Kings  of  Nomav"      °''™"*  *S»  ■"  "'he  Chronicles  of  the 

afteru„de«Xnex?edtr.„''r'""'r'"^^^^'''^^'-'"<'-°» 
«nd  good  »hippi„g7Swn"    he  oT*'  "  "'"""-y "- "»„, 

their  Earlspris„„e;stoNorw";    nd^eX  ™  "' ™^  •■'  ''"' 
theh  stead.    He  overran  tt7H°v.P''°°'""">"'"'™.  Sigurd,  in 

Oodard  Crovan,  to  S  H,  »  /''  f'""'  ''«'"""•  '«"  <" 
lona  was  no>,  e^, Ld  ten  b  -  tH  T  "  '"^  "''"' '"»°'''"  " 
y-s,  his  own  bones  Zb'ri'  ^^^T  ?m  "'^"'' '"  '"" 
»ea,  and  the  coast  of  Wales  Zl  .1  '"""  "-d  Anglea 

^traced  his  coarse  to  SclS^       """^  '''<'■  """*  *"<=«  h" 

-ssion  Of  the  land.  ZZ^ZZtt^^r"  T  "'^""^  P™" 
Wintered  in  the  Southern  B.^  °-    "  ""^  "I""'  he 

ho  contracted  his  "  Xu^d  ruhTr*'"/  '°  '"'  '*'»>  *^' 
0-B„-en,  eailod  b,  the  Northme^ ';t  ^  f  M""^-'-" 
sailed  homeward  fln<i  ^i^      x        "'^'^^yn'a.      In  summer  he 

yearof  his  rr/n '(A  V,oT;r:"b- ""'''""'"'  ""  *'  "'"* 

«fage,andborethUtLf"Kin?:mroT'  ''=""'■  ""^  "°°" 
"He  sailed  into  the  west  sea"  savs«     2      '^'  "nd Hebrides." 

«en  Who  could  be  goTL  Z'waT  ] 'uf '*'  "  "'*  '"«  «"-' 
country  followed  him,  suchriLi'^*"  """"'"'  •»™  »'  ">« 
mf,  Vidi^unner  Johns'son  Da  Sll  rC'r,'  ""' '"°''"" 
Olboge,  the  kind's  marshal  Lh  J       °'  ^"Sn,  Eyvind 

the  intelligence  'of'  tZ"  »  Tavira^rdir  1  ""»•"  «- 
cording  to  the  annals,  MurkerUcl T  n"  2s™""','" 
m  force  to  Dublin,  where,  however,  Marus  "  made  1""  -t 
them  for  one  vyar "  anrl  m„.i     /    **°""^     made  peace  with 

si.urd.  With  -;;w";LT%;T:Lr,f "'"'-'  '» 

w,th  Mnrkertach  at  Kinkora,  'and  "to^rtC  !  S'?™' 

wont  westward  with  their  army  all  the  way  to  Ws  "r  "    Th       ="' 

one  of  those  annual  visitations  which  kin™  ^  l'  """ 

-as  not  yet  established,  were  accu  Idrmale  "h?!     "f 

"  «.ua,,  wa.  perfo^ed  in  about  six  weeks,  .r:hich  the  S 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


Hi 


(1  before  the 
illiant  ambi- 
113  Magnui 
ilt,  Magnus 
icles  of  the 
J3,  and  soon 
ly  fine  men, 
^ay  he  sent 
,  Sigurd,  in 
lan,  son  of 
Island,"  as 
'e,  in  after 
id  Anglea 
thence  he 
ley  across 
imed  pos- 
3  while  he 
3aga,  that 
irkertach 
ramer  he 
ihe  ninth 
ad  come 
ebrides." 
le  finest 
n  of  the 
1  brother 

Eyvind 
3."    On 
^ers,  ac- 
larched 
:e  with 
Iter  to 
3  spent 

kings 
lis  was 
hority 
iircuit, 
)  Irish 


monarch  returned  home,  and  Magnus  went  on  board  his  fleet  at 
Dublin,  to  return  to  Norway,    According  to  the  Norse  account 
he  landed  again  on  the  coast  of  Ulidia(Down),  where  he  expected 
"  cattle  for  ship-provision"  which  Murkertach  had  promised  to  * 
send  him,  but  the  Irish  version  would  seem  to  imply  that  he  went 
on  shore  to  seize  the  cattle  perforce.    It  certainly  seems  incredi- 
ble that  Murkertach  should  send  cattle  to  the  shore  of  Strangford 
Lough,  from  the  pastures  of  Thomond,  when  they  might  be  more 
easily  driven  to  Dublin,  or  the  mouth  of  the  Boyne.    "  The  cattle 
had  not  made  their  appearance  on  the  eve  of  Bartholomew's 
Mass"  (August  23d,  A.D.  1103),  says  the  Saga,  so  "  when  the 
sun  rose  in  the  sky,  King  Magnus  himself  went  on  shore  with 
the    greater    part    of   his    men.     King    Magnus,"    continues 
the  scald,  "  had  a  helmet  on  his  head ;  a  red  shield,  in  which 
was  inlaid  a  gilded  lion ;  and  was  girt  with  the  sword  Legbiter, 
of  which  the  hilt  was  of  ivory,  and  the  hand  grip  wound  about 
with  gold  thread ;  and  the  sword  was  extremely  sharp.    In  hi3 
hand  he  had  a  short  spear,  and  a  red  silk  short  cloak  over  his 
coat,  on  which  both  before  and  behind  was  embroidered  a  lion, 
in  yellow  silk ;  and  all  men  acknowledged  that  they  had  never 
seen  a  brisker,  statelier  man."    A  dust  cloud  was  seen  far 
inland,  and  the  Northmen  fell  into  order  of  battle.    It  proved, 
however,  by  their  own  account  to  be  the  messengers  with  the 
promised  supply  of  cattle  -,  but,  after  they  came  up,  and  while 
returning  to  the  shore,  they  were  violently  assailed  on  all  sides 
by  the  men  of  Down.    The  battle  is  desciibed,  with  true  Homeric 
vigor,  by  Sturleson.    "  The  Irish,"  he  says,  "  shot  boldly ;  and 
although  they  fell  in  crowds,  there  came  always  two  in  place  of 
one."    Magnus,  with  most  of  his  nobles,  were  slain  on  the  spot, 
but  Vidkunner  Johnsson  escaped  to  the  shipping,  "  with  the 
King's  banner  and  the  sword  Legbiter."    And  the  Saga  of  Magnus 
Barefoot  concludes  thus  :  "  Now  when  King  Sigurd  heard  that 
his  father  had  fallen,  he  set  off  immediately,  leaving  the  Irish 
King's  daughter  behind,  and  proceeded  in  autumn,  with  the  whole 
fleet  directly  to  Norway."    The  annalists  of  Ulster  barely  record 
the  fact,  that  "  Magnus,  King  of  Lochlan  and  the  Isles,  was 
tlaiu  by  the  Ulidians,  with  a  slaughter  of  his  people  about  him, 


IIH 


POPULAR  BI8T0EY   OF  ibklAND. 


While  on  a  predatory  excuraion  »    ti, 

year  1104.  ^  «caraion.      They  place  the  event  in  the 

Our  account  with  the  iVnrf»„« 
■"on.  b,  the  mn,  c^nJ^ZL":'"'"'  "?  •"'^-    »»™' 
op  on  the  remoter  ch»„neb  of  Z  ,?'       °°™  '"^ ''»"'"«.  Wgh 
«h.U  flit  «r„»  our  p^ttl  e^,    '^^'^  '<''"'"«  "-- 
their  naUve  north,  wher.  (h„  °^  ''"»  '"^en  wins  to 

«.»  cold  „d  cr„mh«n^'^e^'j„,7J.  ""*.'  ^°'  "  «""  "'■"e  o'v  r 
light  Of  the  Oospo,  hiZI.l!J"'»"''^»f''->^-    The  bright 
P.g-ni™,  .„d  the  fleree  C„^/™"  '^  '"»»  >«»'  taunt,;, 
h've  be«n  «  l<,„     &„„;,"' "".'  ""S'^'fous  r.c«  with  .hich  w. 
It.  beuigu  influence       ''"  ^'*'°  '"  """"S"  "■«"  -"twe^  und!, 

^a^rr^iriiSinrrirorit-r  "^  """-«■  ^- 

derive  little  light  from  tiae  of  .•'""'* ''«-^».  "» 
W  made  pubUc.    All  2ZJL^"  ™*'  "'''«''  ""e  yet 
long  ceased,  before  the  aZZZ^      f  ?""  ""  '""  "^  had 
"gate  the  earlier  an„a"et "^  """^°^«"««»  •»  inve,. 
were  content  with  a  very  v^e  a„7         '"■^'  '""  ""n  »ey 
^eslemWand.forwbichthei;™'"^^!"?   ''""""^''gc  of  the 
throughout  so  many  genem  o„rTre  !l/''.''°"'"^"™'»"''»'> 
Scandinavia,  exhibit  a  mere  ouTln,  Jf  tL  r    ^  "■""■  *°"™  '» 
Pomts  in  the  interior;  fiords  w  ^ v  '*  °'^''  "«*  a  few 

»wering  to  Loughs  Foyle   S  J  *  f  ■"'' °'"»«'  "»  *ow„,  an- 
Itos/or,^,.  the  Provinoianinr^'^T'  "'"'"«/«■''.  and  Ca^. 
™ely  traced,  and  the situa  "If'CSr  V  *'"""^"""  ='™ 
«a  och,  Water/ori,  timer^i,  and  s  °  -  f"'        ' ''°'"'°'  ®™- 
It  .s  thought  that  all  thosepa,^  erd^r^^"":""""'"*''''''"'"- 
Irish  map,  are  of  Scandinavtan  „r™     ^  "'  """*  '"^'>''^>  »-  the 
the  islets.  Skerries,  LamZ^d  S '  ""  " "  "^  *°  '"'™»  "'        ' 
«the  H»nkets,McIve,.,I;rb„lt'?'-  ,?'^°"«'"«  families, 
Crnises,  and  McAuliiTe,,  imlri^^^^'"!''  ^'"*'-  ««"""«« 

Baring  the  contest  we  have  .„7  '"^  ™"»  "rigin. 

ared  and  ten  yea.  b^^':^Z  '^  '"^''""'  «>-  is- 
landed on  the  shores  of  Erin  T "  „  T'"''  •"  '""''""'  A-^' 
measured  sp«,  of  adult  life,  were  b„°  '^^'°°''  ^"""""S  *<-  th. 
marshalled  ta  battle,  sine,  'tlT  ^emT  ^  "*'"•"  '"  ''™»  »" 
burst  upon  th.  shield-shaped  iL  or^intTT);:  °"  »«•■"  ""' 

»'uia.    At  the  close  of  the 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELANP, 


113 


eighth  century  we  cast  back  a  grateful  retrospect  on  the  Christ- 
ian ages  of  Ireland.  Can  we  do  so  now,  at  the  close  of  the 
eleventh  1  Alas !  far  from  it.  Bravely  and  in  the  main  success- 
fully as  the  Irish  have  borne  themselves,  they  come  out  of  that 
cruel,  treacherous,  interminable  war  with  many  rents  and  stains 
in  that  vesture  of  innocence  in  which  we  saw  them  arrayed  at 
the  close  of  their  third  Christian  century.  Odin  has  not  con- 
quered,  but  alf  the  worst  vices  of  Warfare-its  violence,  its  im- 
piety, discontent,  self-indulgence,  and  contempt  for  the  sweet 
paths  of  peace  and  mild  counsels  of  religion— these  must  and 
did  remain,  long  after  Dane  and  Norw«giAi»  hare  forever 
disappeared! 


1  ' 


I  -I  Ifll 


114 


POPULAR   HISTORr   OF   IRBLANDu 


-^OK    III. 

WAR   OF  SUCCESSION. 


CHAPTER  I. 


»HB   FOBTITNRS   OP  THE   FAMILY   OF    BBIAW. 

Thb  last  scene  of  the  Irish  monarchy  before  U  ««*      ^ 
anarchical  period,  was  notdestitute  of  an'^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  ^"  '"^^ 

was  the  death-bed  scen«  nf  fi,«         ""^PP^^opriate  grandeur.  It 

andsuccessorof  the're  t  Bri?n  iZnT^'V^'^ ''''''  ^"^' 
tarf  he  resumed  the  monarchy  witt^!.  '"'"'^"^  ^^^  °^  ^^'^' 
years  ho  continued  iHts  un  to  f  '^^''^"°"'  ^"^  ^^'^  ^^ght 
land  of  Meath  agai^gat  ^0^  tsll'^'"""'  ^""^  ^^"^^^"^ 
the  spoiler,  and  blidet  ake^an^str^^^^^^^^^^  ^^^ 

High  had  erected,  or  restored,  thrte  C^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
where  as  bis  poets  sung,  shelter  was  freely  Sven  to  I  ^T"' 
the  king  of  the  elements.  H  own  favorfr  /  *'  ^'""^ 
Dunnasciath  ("the  fort  of  shieiusTin T  ?,^^^^"««  ^^««  «* 
Lough  Ennel.  in  the  present  pari  ho  'Ct  ^7'  iT  °' 
after  Clontarf_the  summer  of  1029  T  t.  "  ^^  ^'^^*^  y^^'' 
again  ventured  on  a  forayTnto  Ls^^^^^^^  ^^ "  ^-e 

inarched  to  meet  them     At  Af  hhnTr  ^^^^  monarch 

and  drove  them,  rou^d  and  tlkeT  o'utTr''^"^  ''^  ^"^'"^' 
land  of  the  Irish  kings.  '  ^  *^^  *""^^"'  ^^^^ 

Thirty  days  after  that  victory  he  was  called  on  f^  .    r 
conqueror  of  all  men  even  T).n  fh     is   I  .  ^  confront  the 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


115 


humility  of  a  true  Christian.  To  Dunnasciath  repaired  Amai- 
gaid,  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  the  Abbots  of  Clonmacnoise  and  of 
Durrow,  with  a  numerous  train  of  the  clergy.  For  greater  soli- 
tude, the  dying  king  was  conveyed  into  an  island  of  the  lake 

opposite  his  fort—then  called  Inis-Cro,  now  Cormorant  Island 

and  there,  "  after  intense  penance,"  on  the  fourth  of  the  Nones 
of  September  precisely,  died  Malachy,  son  of  Donald,  son  of 
Ponogh,  in  the  fond  language  of  the  bards,  "  the  pillar  of  the 
dignity  and  nobility  of  the  western  world :"  and  "  the  seniors  of 
all  Ireland  sung  masses,  hymns,  psalms,  and  canticles  for  the 
welfare  of  his  soul." 

"This,"  says  the  old  Translator  of  the  Clonmacnoise  Annals, 
"  was  the  last  king  of  Ireland  of  Irish  blood,  that  had  the  crown ; 
yet  there  were  seven  kings  after  without  crown,  before  the  com- 
ing in  of  the  English."    Of  these  seven  subsequent  kings  we  are 
to  write  under  the  general  title  of  "  the  War  of  Succession." 
They  are  called  Ard-Rigb   go  Fresabra,  that  is,  kings  opposed, 
or  unrecognized,  by  certain  tribes,  or  Provinces.    For  it  was 
essential  to  the  completion  of  the  title,  as  we  have  before  seen, 
that  when  the  claimant  was  of  Ulster,  he  should  have  Connaught 
and  Munster,  or  Leinster  and  Munster,  in  his  obedience :  in  other 
words,  he  should  be  able  to  command  the  allegiance  of  two- 
thirds  of  his  suffragans.    If  of  Munster,  he  should  be  equally 
potent  in  the  other  Provinces,  in  order  to  rank  among  the  re- 
cognized kings  of  Erin.    Whether  some  of  the  seven  kings  sub- 
sequent to  Malachy  II.,  wha  assumed  the  title,  were  not  fairly 
entitled  to  it,  we  do  not  presume  to  say ;  it  is  our  simpler  task  to 
narrate  the  incidents  of  that  brilliant  war  of  succession,  which 
occupies  almost  all  the  interval  between  the  Danish  and  An^rio, 
Norman  invasions.    The  chaunt  of  the  funeral  Mass  of  Malachy 
was  hardly  heard  upon  Lough  Ennel,  when  Donogh  O'Brien 
despatched  his  agents,  claiming  the  crown  from  the"  Provincial 
Princes.    He  was  the  eldest  son  of  Brian  by  his  second  marriage 
and  his  mother  was  an  O'Conor,  an  additional  source  of  strength 
to  him,  in  the  western  Province.    It  had  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
Donogh  and  his  elder  brother,  Teigue  or  Thaddeus,  to  conduct 
the  remnant  of  the  Dalcassians  from  Clontarf  to  their  home 
Marching  through  Ossory,  by  the  great  southern  road  they  were 


116 


WPWAB    H.8T0KT    OF   IBELAND. 


I'spleasure.    Wounded  a,  ma  y„  .h»™  '""™  "'"■  ""'J' 

way  desperately  ,„„„rts  c.  h"l  k.v  Jf'  '""^  f»"8'«  th.i, 
"■eir  skirmishe,.  Of  all  who  h».i  T'"*  '**  """  "»«<'  '"  »"«  of 
-'*  «.e  enemy,  J'a  '  ^^  tit'l?T™  "'"  '°  -""'»' 

No  sooner  had  they  reach  Jit?-  ^         "  *"  ""'"•  ''»«>™ 
arose,  between  the  friends  oftefj"^"'''''  "■»"  «  ""f"-  disput* 
".ould  reign  „,„  jf^     ^«8"J  "d  Donogh,  aa  to  which 

result,  but  by  the  interceseiiu  of  th.  r,  '"'"**■  "'"»  '"'""'tfnl 
"as  healed,  and  the  broZa  °1       ,? '°''®"'"' """•'"ral  feud 
afterwards,  „„„,  Teigu,  tif  „  aT       ""•'''""'^  'or  nine  years 
County),  as  w«,  cljg^  and  1?   'JT'"'"' ''»  ^''  «"«»•« 
Ws  colleague  and  bro'ther     Jto  Zt^'  '^  ""  """^W-aaons  of 
Wson,  and  at  this  J,  th!  g^f '  T  f  ''«^».  -a.  the 
I.e.nster,  the  founder  of  the  Mcm"!^  »r  h^lage  of  Dermid  o/ 
n^^nlnto  the  rank,  justlyfoSdT  ./°°''''' '''''<^'' '»<' "w 
When  he  reached  man'.,  age  tlrt^'' *%'»'■'<''■  ^aetaur^ 
and  we  ahall  ,„„„  hear  of  him  ^^  *'""'""■  <"  »ermid. 

pretensions  of  the  eldest  survWn'tLT'f'"^  in  Munster  the 
'•ie  death  of  his  brotherTd  'fjS  <>'"'•  O'Brien  family, 
year,  proved  favorable  to  the  amblaL   ?^n  ^' '""'"'  "■»  »a.no 
Mnnster  submitted  to  his  sway    Co2     h?""^"  "'"*'■•    A" 
«o  recognize  his  t:tle  as  Ard  Btek    T  *  '  """  "'"''"e  "-e  Brst 
»nwilli„gly,  gave  in  their  adhS;„  "T?  I^""  '*'""^''  "">»«•*. 
eognize  him,  and  pUced  ite  ZHf  "™"'  '^"^  ^  re- 
tads  of  Con  OXochan,  thefroh^      "l?  commission,  in  th. 
already  more  than  one;  men  „„td    '  X  ^"'""'- "'  ^"^^ 
Meath,  obeyed  Flaherty  O'M  of  a-,      u'  """""•■''  »<"■*  ol 
"ell  as  that  of  all  his  house  wt  L      f""'  "''""  """""on,  aa 
macy.  Which  had  continued  ^br^C^  '"e  northern  su^re- 
"'"*  """"nry.    This  Flaherty  wral-f""  ""  '°°''"'  ^  <*« 
Prmce,  who  held  stoutly  on  to  tCl  1^    "'^^  "■"»'  ""d  pioua 

^e  year  2030  he  made  the™  ^^entwr  *«"-'"»8''-'«'     In 
to  Rome,  from  which  he  is  c^7TL^  "dventarous  pilgrimage 

onT^rostain,  or  the  cross-blrrlr  •*"«™  "'  ""  ""-^ 

'•o4b^rrrr;:r:''::;r--dencyo, 

II  01  nw  nephew,  now  advanced  to 


:^   A 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRSLAVO. 


117 


manhood.    Thorlogh  O'Brien  possessed  much  of  the  courage  and 
ability  of  his  grandfather,  and  he  had  at  his  side  a  faithful  and 
powerful  ally  in  his  foster-father,  Dermid,  of  Leinster.    Rifrhtly 
or  wrongly,  on  proof  or  on  suspicion,  he  regarded  his  uncTe  aa 
his  father's  murderer,  and  he  pursued  his  vengeance  with  a  skill 
and  constancy  worthy  of  ifow?rt.    At  the  time  of  his  father's 
death  he  was  a  mere  lad— in  his  fourteenth  year.    But,  as  he 
grew  older,  he  accompanied  his  foster-father  in  all  his  expedi- 
tions,  and  rapidly  acquired  a  soldier's  fame.    By  marriage  with 
Dervorgoil,  daughter  of  the  Lord  of  Ossory,  he  strengthened  his 
influence  at  the  most  necessary  point;  and  what  with  so  good  a 
cause  and  such  fast  friends  as  he  made  in  exile,  his  success 
against  his  uncle  is  little  to  be  wondered  at.    Leinster  and  Os- 
sory,  which  had  temporarily  submitted  to  Donogh's  claim,  soon 
found  good  pretexts  for  refusing  him  >ibute,  and  a  border  war, 
marked  by  all  the  usual  atrocities,  raged  for  several  successive 
seasons.     The  contest  is  relieved,  however,  of  its  purely  civil 
character  by  the  capture  of  Waterford,  still  Danish,  in  1037,  and 
of  Dublin  in  1051.    On  this  occasion,  Dermid,  of  Leinster,  be- 
stowed  the  city  on  his  son  Morrogh,  (grandfather  of  Strongbows 
ally,)  to  whom  the  remnant  of  its  inhabitants,  as  well  as  their 
kinsmen  in  Man,  submitted  for  the  time,  with  what  grace  they 
could. 

The  position  of  Donogh  O'Brien  became  yearly  weaker.    His 
rival  had  youth,  energy  and  fortune  on  his  side.    The  Prince 
of  Connaught   finally  joined  him,  and   thus   a   league   was 
formed,  which  overcame  aU  opposition.     In  the  year  1058 
Donogh  received  a  severe  defeat  at  the  base  of  the  Galtees ;  and 
although  he  went  into  the  house  of  O'Conor  the  same  year,  and 
humbly  submitted  t«  him,  it  only  postponed  his  day  of  reckon- 
mg.    Three  years  after  O'Conor  took  Kincorra,  and  Dermid    of 
Leinster,  burned  Limerick,  and  took  hostages  as  far  southward 
as  Saint  Brendan's  hill  (Tralee).    The  next  year  Donogh  0'  Brien. 
then  fully  fourscore  years  of  age,  weary  of  Hfe  and  of  the 
world,  took  the  cross-staff,  and  departed  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome. 
Where  he  died  soon  after,  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Stephen.    It  is 
Baid  by  some  writers  that  Donogh  brought  with  him  to  Rome  and 
preseoted  to  tbePope,  Alexander  IL,  the  »«>wn  of  his  father-and- 


118 


III 


POPULAR    HISTORF    OF   IRELAND. 


Conor,  ,„„  of  M^alhv  ^7  T".  "l  ""*'  "»  •'■P=«'«»  ''<"» 

Thorlogh  O'Brien,  „„„  Rfa!  If  r!..  1'"""'^°'  "•"  ""*. 
devote,,  adherence,  the  deep  debt  h.'i"^"'  "■""'"  *"■  "« 
•■»  early  y„„t,.  to'  DeS  The.^  aTf  '"  ""'  ''"'^'"^  ''"^ 
Annals  of  a  more  d^.....rfri.„,lK..  '°'"''"™'  '"  <"" 

bmve  and  able  Prtaees'ttou^h  at.V    k"  '"'"^''  '"""^"  *»»• 
No  one  act  .een.  to  hL  broTen^  et  1""'"  "'  '^"  "  '•"""">■■ 

"0  distrust:  n^^tZZoTlnZTt'"" ""  ■"'"■•-'• 

He  many  myriads  of  „„„T  ■  ,  ^  '"'""'"  «perience( 
desire  r„/tba't  be^  .^n^  Xra:'  ""  '""'  """'^  '"  ™'» 
-nchan,™.  unsuspecting  frL<J  I      "™™  ■="  '«'»'°".  »  '™e. 

-Mdrnten^Tpir:??."!'* ""'  '^'' ""•«'"'  o-- 

kis  father  and  se^ra,  :Z  alesZtdTlT  tb""/  ""'^^ 
between  Weath  and  Leinste.  »™        ■  ■*  '""'''"'  ""■''« 

been  waged  a  few  yearblreTo:  tb    r""'  *""•■""■  "^ 
between  Leinster  aid  OssorvTn  t '  '^"™"  <"  »™<'S''. 

the  other.  Various  wereTb?,  !  ""'  P"''  """  «">■='-■  on 
are  seldom  pJe^d  ^  BuT??  1T  ""-"""eMs 
p.  'valled  in  all,  until,  i„  the  year  1070  her,.,"""  "'  '"'™''' 
a  ■..  unral  death  at  Dublin  and  o'  *'°™«"'  ''='  "eir,  by 

'^ith  the  men  of  Mea*     tI    ™'"^'  """""'■•  ™'  <■«« '»  battl. 
in  the  same  territ^^rand  .        f  ?  '""■' '"  "■»  •«"«»  of  Ova, 

-If  feu.  With  ZTL7JZZI   r°  ™™^' '"™"'  "™- 


?«| 


Mlw 


I«')PULAR    HIBTORT    OF   IRELAKD. 


119 


*nd  the  sorrow  and  anger  of  Leinster,  were  equally  great.    The 
Bards  have  sung  the  praise  of  Dermirt  hi  strains  which  hir  tory 
accepts  :  they  praise  his  ruddy  aspect  and  laughing  teeth  ;  they 
remember  how  he  upheld  the  stantlard  of  war,  and  none  dared 
c<jntend  with  hi  ii  in  battle ;  they  denounce  vengeance  on  Meatll 
as  soon  as  his  death-feast  is  over — a  vengeance  too  truly  pursued. 
As  a  picture  of  the  manners  and  habits  of  thought  in  those 
limes,  the  fate  of  Conor,  son  of  Melaghlin,  and  its  connection  with 
the  last  illness  and  death  of  Thorlogh  O'Brien,  are  worthy  of  men- 
tion.   Conor  was  treacherously  slain,  the  year  after  the  battle  of 
Ova,  in  a  parley  with  h's  own  nephew,  though  the  parley  was  held 
under  the  protection  of  the  Bachall-Isa,  or  Staff  of  Christ,  the 
most  revered  relic  of  the  Irish  Church.    After  his  death,  liis 
body  was  buried  in  the  great  Church  of  Clonmacnoise,  in  his  own 
patrimony.    But  Thor'ogh  O'Brien  perhaps,  from  his  friendship 
for  Dermld,  carried  off  his  head,  as  the  head  of  an  enemy,  to 
Kincorra.    When  4t  was  placed  in  his  pre'^ence  in  his  palace,  a 
mouse  ran  out  from  the  dead  man's  head,  and  under  the  king's 
mantle,  which  occasioned  him  such  a  fright  that  he  grew  sud- 
denly sick,  his  hair  fell  off,  and  his  life  was  despaired  of.    It  was 
on  Good  Friday  that  the  buried  heau  was  carried  away,  and  on 
Easter  Sunday  it  was  tremblingly  restored  again,  with  two  rings 
of  gold  as  a  peace  offering  to  the  Church.    Thus  were  Qod  and 
Saint  Kieran  vindicated.    Thorlogh  O'Brien  slowly  regained  his 
strength,  though  Keating,  and  the  authors  he  followed,  think  he 
•was  never  the  same  man  again,  after  the  fright  he  received,  from 
the  head  of  Conor  0  Melaghlin.    He  died  peaceiibly  and  full  of 
penitence,  at  Kincorra,  oa  the  eve  of  the  Ides  of  July,  A.  D. 
1086,  after  severe  physical  suffering.    He  was  in  the  77th  year 
of  his  age,  the  32d  of  his  rule  over  Munster,  and  the  13th— since 
the  death  of  Dermid,  of  Leinster — iu  his  actual  sovereignty  of 
'"he  southern  half,  and  nominal  rule  of  the  whole  kingdom     He 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  Murkertach,  or  Murtogh,  afterwards 
called  H^ore,  or  the  great. 

We  have  thus  traced  to  the  third  generation  the  political  for- 
tnnas  of  the  family  of  Brian,  which  includes  so  much  of  the 
history  of  those  times.  That  family  had  become,  and  was  long 
destined  to  remain,  the  Ilrst  in  rank  and  influence  in  the  southern 


190 


POPULAR    IIIBTORT    OF   IBJIAKD. 


half-klngdoin.    Bat  tatamal  dhcord  to  .  g«,t  hoa»  «  |„  , 
gr...  ""«.'»  ""•'  to  the  peaceable  t™„,„|l„  of^Tir    ^Lt 

D  to  the  peaceful  »ucce„lon,"  of  modern  Europe  „„,  too 
litll.  re,pec.ed  In  .h«e  age,,  to  many  c„„„tMe.  of  Ch  ..te"d„t 
721.  """T  P"'«"-'»«»" '■>  It.  faror  among  u-ewT 

Tn    1,  ,       ,         '"  ''^•""'"  P"l'«™'i™  fer  modem  civlliM. 
tlon    but  „  Ireland  had  ««.ped  the  legion,  of  Kome    c    h. 

r^l^      V  ^    """"'  "P""  ""  •<"'  "  ™  •mbodled  in 
a..  Invadmg  host,  and  patriot  zeal  could  discern  nothing  ^ 

nothmg  ,„„„ye  i„  .he  law.  and  customs  of  an  enemy  w,^^ 
.m.ed  presence  to  the  land  ,„  an  Insult  to  it.  tohabiZ'    n^ 

foundation  Of  g«..  .ta.e,:  once  in  the  Roman,  and  .gain  ip  th. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FAMILT  OP  O'COXOR.  '^"^ 

FotTR  year«  before  the  death  of  Thorlogh  O'Brien  a  Prine- 
to  the  kingship  of  the  northern  tribes.    This  waa  Donald  son  of 

Mac    Laughhn.    Donald  had  reached  the  mature  age  of  forty 
When  he  succeeded  in  the  course  of  nature  to  his  fath^Ardtf 
and  was  admitted  the  first  man  of  theNorth,  not  only  n  stotion 
but  for  personal  graces  and  accomplishments  j  for  wisdom  wtah 
Lberality,  and  love  of  military  adrenture  '  ' 

as  wfr^r''  7."'"''°'  '''''"^°'  "^'  ^^  "*-^^  *he  same  age 
as  h.8  rival,  and  h,s  equal,  if  not  superior  in  talents  both  for 

peace  and  war     During  the  last  years  of  his  father's  Uign  and 
the  clamu.  of  Cashel  on  aU  the  tribes  of  Leath  Mogha,  from  Dub. 


POrULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


idi 


lin  toOdlway.    In  the  year  1091,  by  mutual  compact,  brought 
about  throuijh  the  Intercession  of  the  Archbishop  of  Anna«h 
and  the  groat  body  of  the  clergy,  north  and  south— and  still 
more  perhajH  by  the  pestilence  and  famine  which  ra«od  at  inter- 
rais  during  the  last  years  of  the  eleventh  century— this  ancient 
division  of  the  midland  esker,  running  east  and  west,  was  so- 
lemnly  restored  by  consent  of  both  parties,  and  Loath  Mogha 
and  Leath  Conn  became  for  the  moment  independent  territo- 
ries.   So  thoroughly  did  the  Church  enter  into  the  arrangement, 
that,  at  the  Synod  of  Rath-Brazil,  held  a  few  yoars  laler,  the 
Beats  of  the  twelve  Bishops  of  the  southern  half  were  grouped 
round  the  Archbishop  of  Cashel,  while  the  twelve  of  the  north- 
cm  half  were  ranged  round  the  Archbishop  of  Armagh.    The 
Bishops  of  Meath,  the  ancient  niensal  of  the  monarchy,  seem  to 
have  occupied  a  middle  station  between  the  benches  of  the  north 
*nd  south. 

Notwithstanding  the  solemn  compact  of  1094,  Murtogh  did 
not  long  cease  to  claim  the  title,  nor  to  seek  the  hostages  of  all 
Ire/and.    As  soon  as  the  fearful  visitations  with  whicirthe  cen- 
tury  had  closed  were  passed  over,  he  resumed  his  warlike  forays, 
and  found  Donald  of  Aileach  nothing  loath  to  try  again  the  issue 
of  arms.     Each  prince,  however,  seems  to  have  been  more  anx- 
ious to  coerce  or  interest  the  secondary  chiefs  in  his  own  behalf 
than  !,>  meet  his  rival  in  the  old-style  pitched  battle.     Murtofrh'g 
annual  march  was   usually  along  the  Shannon,  into  Leitrim 
thence  north  by  Sligo,  and  across  the  Erne  and  Finn  into  Done-' 
gal  and  Derry.    Donald's  annual  excursion  led  commonly  along 
the  Bann,  into  Dalriada  and  Ulidia,  thence  by  way  of  Newry 
across  the  Boyne,  into  Meath,  and  from  Westmeath  into  Nortli 
Munstor.    In  one  of  these  forays,  at  the  very  openin<^  of  the 
twelfth  century,  Donald  surprised  Kincorra  in  the  absence  of  its 
lord,  razed  the  fort  and  levelled  the  buildings  to  the  earth     But 
the  next  season  the  southern  king  paid  him  back  in  kind,  when 
ho  attacked  and  demolished  Aileach,  and  caused  each  of  his 
soldiers  to  carry  off  a  stone  of  the  ruin  in  his  knapsack     "  I 
never  heard  of  the  billeting  of  grit  stones,"  exclaims  a  bard  of 
those  days,  ''though  I  have  heard  of  the  billeting  of  soldiers- 


i25r 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAWD. 


but  now  we  see  the  stones  of  Aileach  billeted  on  the  horaeB  of 
the  King  of  the  West !" 

Such  circuits  of  the  Irish  kings,  especially  in  dfys  of  opposi- 
tion, were  repeated  with  much  regularity.    They  seem  to  have 
set  out  commonly  in  May — or  soon  after  the  festival  of  Easter— 
and  when  the  tour  of  the  island  was  made,  they  occupied  about 
six  weeks  in  duration.    The  precise  number  of  men,  who  took 
part  in  these  visitations,  is  nowhere  stated,  but  in  critical  times 
no  prince,  claiming  the  perilous  honor  of  Ard-Righ,  would  be 
likely  to  march  with  less  than  from  five  to  ten  thousand  men. 
The  movements  of  such  a  multitude  must  have  been  attended 
with  many  oppressions  and  inconveniences  ;  their  encampment 
for  even  a  week  in  any  territory  must  have  been  a  serious  bur- 
then  to  the  resident  inhabitants,  whether  hostile  or  hospitable. 
Yet  this  was  one  inevitable  consequence  of  the  breaking  up  of 
the  federal  centre  at  Tara.    In  eariier  days,  the  Ard-Righ,  on 
his  election,  or  in  an  emergency,  made  an  armed  procession 
through  the  island.    Ordinarily,  however,  his  suffi-a^Jtns  visited 
him,  and  not  he  them  ;  all  Ireland  went  up  to  Tara  to  the  Fet$, 
or  to  the  festivals  of  Baaltine  and  Samhain.     Now  that  tliere  was 
no  Tara  to  go  to,  the  monarch,  or  would-be  monarch,  found  it 
indispensable  to  show  himself  often,  and  to  exercise  his  authority 
in  person,  among  every  considerable  tribe  in  the  island.    To  do 
justice  to  Murtogh  O'Brien,  he  does  not  appear  to  have  sought 
occasions  of  employing  force  when  on  these  expeditions,  but 
rather  to  have  acted  the  part  of  an  armed  negotiator.    On  his  re- 
turn from  the  demolition  of  Aileach  (A.D.  1101),  among  other 
acts  of  munificence,  he,  in  an  assembly  of  the  clergy  of  Leath 
Mogha,  made  a  solemn  gift  of  the  city  of  Cashel,  free  of  all  rents 
and  dues,  to  the  Archbishop  and  the  Clergy,  forever.    His  muni- 
ficence to  churches,  and  his  patronage  of  holy  men,  were  eminent 
traits  in  this  Prince's  character.    And  the  clergy  of  that  age  were 
eminently  worthy  of  the  favors  of  such  Princes.    Their  interposi- 
tion frequently  brought  about  a  truce  between  the  northera  and 
southern  kings.    In  the  year  1103,  the  hostages  of  both  were 
placed  in  custody  with  Donald,  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  to  guar- 
antee a  twelvemonth's  peace.    But  the  next  season  the  contest 
was  renewed.    Murtogh  besieged  Armagh  for  a  week,  which 


l-OPDUR   HISTO«.    or  WULAliD. 


133 

DonaJd  of  Aileach  ,aco«,f„lly  defend«l.  ™„i  th.  stege  „aa 

!„r„    ■  ^r""""""""  ■"""•  "'°  "<"■"•»"  '"'«  defeated 

.ne  d  ™,on  of  Murtogh's  allies  m  Iveagh,  u„„er  ihe  .Tince  o.' 

Lemster  who  fell  on  the  SelJ,  with  the  lords  of  Jdro^e  Os.o,y 

another  dme.on  of  hia  troops,  was  on  an  incursbn  m^.  Atit^m 
when  I»  heard  of  this  defea,.  The  northern  visitors  carrW  ot 
among  other  spoils  the  royal  tent  and  standard,  a  trophy  wh=2 
cm^sed  new  b.tterness  on  the  one  side,  and  new  cLnfldeL  ontt 
othe^  Donald  the  good  Archbishop,  the  following  year  (AD 
1105)  proeeeded  to  Dublin,  where  Murtogh  was,°or  was  soo. 
ejpeeted,  to  renew  the  previous  peace  between  North  and  ZTh 
bnt  he  fell  suddenly  i„  soon  after  his  arrival,  and  causM  ,S 
to  be  earned  homewards  in  haste.  At  a  church  by  the  ward" 
not  far  from  Dublin,  he  was  anointed  and  received  the  vMcl 

2th7     /  .       '"■ '"  ""'"  ^™='S'''  ""-«  >■»  -PiredTt"; 
I2th  day  of  August.    Kellach,  latinized  Celsus,  his  saintly  sue! 

cesso  ,  was  pron,oted  to  the  Pnmacy,  and  solemnly  consocrrd 
on  Sam.  Adamnan's  day  following-the  28d  of  September  n06 
Archb.shop  Celsus,  whose  accession  was  equally  we  1  ,^,; 
m  Munster  as  in  Ulster,  followed  in  the  foorp'sofhnU 
predecessor,  ,n  taking  a  decided  part  with  neither  leath  M  ,T 
nor  Leath  Conn.    When,  in  the  year  1110  hotb  1  ,  *"" 

U>  Slieve-Fuaid,    with  a  Wew  to  rclXnge  of  batt  rcT "' •'' 
terposed  between  them  the  BachaUIsalZ  \    l^^T  '"' 
fbnowed,  again,  three  yea«  later,  when  they  IftnL  Tb 
other  „  Iveagh,  in  Down,  similar  success  attended  t  sMarTn 
terposition.    A  few  years  later  Murtoih  n'nri™  '°" 

so  severe  an  illne,,,  that  he  becarSo  ^n  .        """,  """^  "'"■ 

though  be  recovered  sumcienVrlt^rrcrSr 
thonty  he  never  «.gained  his  full  health     H.  a-  ?  "" 

retreat,  at  Lismore,  on  the  4th  of  tides  !  t^T  1  ^S 
and  was  buried  at  Killaloe  Wio  „-  .  •  ,  ,7'^^"'  ^"-  m^i 
conn,  did  not  long  .„rv'i'::':;„.  "^  ^^^^TTo  tl  ^T^ 
g.ous  house,  on  the  5th  of  the  Ides  of  Februa  y"  A.D  l  2,"  ""• 

While  these  two  able  men  were  tJ.na  f^  \ 

«f  a  century  struggling  for  tr  supemTyT^Lr  "  '""^' 
r«.«al,y  st^ngthenh,,  .tsel,  west  "of  r'^^L'r,  d'::redT 


!  !> 


124 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


profit  by  the  contest,  more  than  eitlier  of  the  principals.    This 
was  the  family  of  O'Conor,  of  Roscommon,  who  derived  their 
pedigree  from  the  same  stock  as  the  O'Neils,  and  their  name 
from  Conor,  an  ancestor,  who  ruled  over  Connaught,  towprdsthe 
fcnd  of  the  ninth  century.     Two  or  three  of  their  lint,  before 
Conor  had  possessed  the  same  rank  and  title,  but  it  Avas  by  no 
means  regarded  as  an  adjunct  of  thf;  house  of  Rathcrogan,  before 
the  time  at  which  we  have  arrived.     Their  co- relatives,  some- 
times their  rivals,  but  oftener  their  allies,  were  the  O'Ruarcs  of 
Breffny,   McDermots  of  Moylurg,  the  O'Flahertys  of  lar  or 
West  Connaught,  the  OShaughnessys,  O'Heynes,  and  O'Dowdas. 
The  great  neignboring  family  of  O'Kelly  had  sprung  from  a  dif- 
ferent  branch  of  the  far-spreading  Gaelic  tree.    At  the  opening 
of  the  twelfth  century,  Thorlogh  More  O'Conor,  son  of  Ruari  o'f 
the  Yellow  Hound,  son  of  Hugh  of  the  Broken  Spear,  was  the 
recognized  head  of  his  race,  both  for  valor  and  discr  -tion.    By 
some  historians  he  is  called  the  half-brother  of  Murtogh  O'Brien, 
and  it  is  CwTtain  that  he  was  the  faithful  ally  of  that  powerful 
piince.     In  the  early  stages  of  the  recent  contest  between  North 
and  South,  Donald  of  Aileach  had  presented  himself  at  Rath- 
crogan, the  residence  of  O'Conor,  who  entertained  him  for  a 
fortnight,  and  gave  him  hostages  ;  but  Connaught  finally  sided 
with  Munster,  and  thus,  by  a  decided  policy,  escaped  being  ground 
to  powder,  as  corn  is  ground  between  the  mill-stones.    But  the 
nephew  and  successor  of  Murtogh  was  not  prepared  to  reciprocate 
to  Connaught  the  support  it  had  rendered  to  Munster,  but  rather 
looked  for  its  continuance  to  himself.     Conor  O'Brien,  who 
became  King  of  Munster  in  1120,  resisted  all  his  life  the  pre- 
tensions of  any  house  but  his  own  to  the  southern  half-kingdom, 
and  against  a  less  powerful  or  less  politic  antagonist,  his  energy 
and  capacity  would  have  been  certain  to  prevail.     The  posteri'ty 
of  Malachy  in  Meath,  as  well  as  the  Princes  of  Aileach,  were 
equally  hostile  to  the  designs  of  the  new  aspirant.     One  line  had 
given  three,  another  seven,  another  twenty  kings  to  Erin— but  who 
had  ever  heard  of  an  Ard-Righ  coming  out  of  Connaught  7     'Twas 
so,  they  reasoned,  in  those  days  of  fierce  family  pride^and  so  they 
ac:,ed.    Yet  Thorlogh,  son  of  Ruari,  son  of  Hugh,  proved  himself 
In  the  fifteen  years'  war,  previous  to  his  accession  (1021  to  1136), 


POPHIATI    HISTORY    OF    IKELASD.  IgJ 

more  than  a  match  for  all  Lis  enemies.    He  had  been  chief  of 

..»  nbe  since  the  year  UOO,  and  from  the  fl,.t  hrbe.«n  t 

.      lay  in,  far  forecasting  plans  for  the  someis-nty.    He  b^Z 

poused  the  cause  of  the  house  of  O'Brien,  and  had  profited  t 

ha  alhance     Nor  were  all  hi,  thoughts  gi.en  to  war.    He  haj 

10  ei:fd  ShZ  T,"'  ''"'""-'-•-''  '•.eSh.nno-.a.it 

finished  (1120  or  '21)  he  celebrated  the  ancient  games  at  Tail, 
tean,  n  assertmn  of  his  claim  to  the  monarchy.  His  mai„ 
d,fflcul  y  was  the  stubborn  pride  of  Monster,  and  the  va^lTnd 

tresses.  Of  the  years  following  his  assertion  of  his  title  few 
passed  w,  hout  war  between  those  Provinces.    I„  1121  and  im 

riXTnT'"'*  '."  f°  "■'"■'  '°*  hostages  from  Lismo'o 
to  Tralee,  and  returned  home  eraltingly ;  a  few  years  lalcr  th. 
tide  turned,  and  Conor  O'Brien  was  Equally  ^LLri  us  a„  lis 
h.m,  m  the  heartof  his  own  country.    Thorlogh  pCd  'fflth. 
south  the  ancient  iealousv  of  th.  p„„    ■      i  ° 

n,i™    •  .    .  -I     ""''  "'  ''He  Eugenian  houses  against  the 

Dalcassmns,  and  thus  weakened  both,  to  his  own  advantage  I„ 
the  year  1128  he  took  DubUn  and  raised  his  son  to  the  Ship 
as  Demnd  of  Lsinster,  and  Thorlogh  O'Brien  had  done  form  l'- 
marchmg  southward  he  encamped  in  Ormond,  from  tammls'o 
St.  B  .dget's  day,  and  overran  Munster  with  his  troops  Tan 
directions,  takino  Cork  rn<,l,oi    a-jo  .        ''""P'  "  »'l 

.1,.  i.„i    n  •  '  '^'^'"''  Ardlinnan,  and  Tralee.    Celsna 

he  holy  Pnmate  of  Armagh,  deploring  the  evils  of  this  pro 
racted  war  left  hi,  peaceful  city,  and  ^pent  thirteen  m'Zt 

^LTirntixtr'Ttr-d"'  t  --"^  °- "'^• 

the  most  sangmnarj-  consequences.    In  the  year  mo  Th„  1    > 

riiend  ot  St.  Bernard,  was  nominated  a,  his  successor     A,  \Z 
fme  he  was  absent  in  Munster,  a,  the  Vicar  of  t^e  ^j;,  PriLt 


126 


fOlULAR    HISTORY    01    IRELAND. 


lit 


engaged  in  a  missioii  of  ptaci,  wliea  iiie  crozier  and  tue  dying 
message  of  his  predecessor  wor<»  dolivored  to  him.  He  returned 
t6  Armagh,  where  he  found  that  Maurice,  sou  of  Donald,  had  been 
intruded  as  Archbishop  in  the  intertm  ;  to  thia  city  peace, 
order,  and  unity,  were  not  even  paitially  restored,  until  two 
years  later — A.  D.  1132. 

The  reign  of  Thorlogh  O'Conor  over  Leath  Mogha,  or  as  Ard- 
Righ  "  with  opposition,"  is  dated  by  the  best  authorities  from  the 
year  1136.  He  was  then  in  his  forty-eighth  year,  and  had  been 
chief  of  his  tribe  from  the  early  age  of  eighteen.  He  afterwards 
reigned  for  twenty  years,  and  as  those  years,  and  the  early  career 
of  his  son  Roderick,  are  full  of  instruction,  in  reference  to  the 
events  which  follow — we  must  relate  them  somewhat  in  detail. 
We  again  beg  the  reader  to  observe  the  consequences  of  the 
destruction  of  the  federal  bond  among  the  Irish ;  how  every 
Province  has  found  an  ambitious  dynasty  of  its  own,  which  each 
contends  shall  be  supreme;  how  the  ambition  of  the  great  fami- 
lies grows  insatiable  as  the  ancient  rights  and  customs  dBcay ; 
how  the  law  of  Patrick  enacted  in  the  fifth  century  is  no  longer 
quoted  or  regarded ;  how  the  law  of  the  strong  hand  alone  de- 
cides the  quarrel  of  these  proud,  unyielding  Princes. 


•♦• 


CHAPTER  III. 

THOBLOOH   MORE   O'OOMOR — MtTRKERTACH    OP    AILBACH— AOCBS- 
810N   OP   RODERICK    o'cONOR. 

The  successful  ambition  of  Thorlogh  O'Conor  had  thus  added, 
as  we  have  seen  in  the  last  chapter,  a  fifth  dynasty  to  the  num- 
ber of  competitors  for  the  sovereignty.  And  if  great  energy  and 
▼arious  talents  coald  alone  entitle  a  chief  to  rule  over  his  country, 
this  Prince  well  merited  the  obedience  of  his  cotemporaries. 
He  is  the  first  of  the  latter  kings  who  maintained  a  regular  fleet 
at  sea;  at  one  time  we  find  these  Connaught  galleys  doing 
service  on  the  coast  of  Cork,  at  another  co-operating  with  hip 


1 1 


POPULAR    HISTOBT    OF    IRELAND. 


127 


land  forces,  in  the  harbor  of  Derry.  The  year  of  hia  greatest 
power  wa3  the  fifteenth  of  his  reign  (A.  D.  1151),  when  his  most 
signal  success  was  obtained  over  his  most  formidable  antagonists 
Thorlogh  O'Brien,  King  of  Miinster,  successor  to  Conor  of  the 
fortresses,  had  on  foot,  in  that  year,  an  army  of  three  battalions 
(or  caths),  each  battalion  consisting  of  3,000  men,  with  which 
force  he  overawed  some,  and  compelled  others  of  the  southern 
cliiefs  to  withdraw  their  homage  from  his  western  namesake. 
The  latter,  uniting  to  his  own  the  forces  of  Meath,  and  those  of 
Leinster,  recently  reconciled  to  his  supremacy,  marched  south- 
ward, and,  encamping  at  Glanmire,  received  the  adhesion  of  such 
Eugenian  families  as  still  struggled  with  desperation  against  the 
ascendancy  of  the  O'Briens.  With  those  forces  he  encountered, 
at  Moanmore,  the  army  of  the  south,  and  defeated  them,  with  the 
enormous  loss  of  7,000  men — a  slaughter  unparalleled  throughout 
the  war  of  succession.  Every  leading  house  in  North  Munster 
mourned  the  loss  of  either  its  chief  or  its  tanist ;  some  great  fa- 
milies lost  three,  five,  or  seven  brothers  on  that  sanguinary  day. 
The  household  of  Kinkora  was  left  without  an  heir,  and  many  a 
near  kinsman's  seat  was  vacant  in  its  hospitable  hall.  The 
O'Brien  himself  was  banished  into  Ulster,  where,  from  Murker- 
tacli,  Prince  of  Aileach,  he  received  the  hospitality  due  to  his 
rank  and  his  misfortunes,  not  without  an  ulterior  politic  view  on 
the  part  of  the  Ulster  Prince.  In  this  battle  of  Moanmore,  Der- 
mid  McMurrogh,  King  of  Leinster,  of  whom  we  shall  hear 
hereafter,  fought  gallantly  on  the  side  of  the  victor.  In  the  same 
year — but  whether  before  or  after  the  Munster  campaign  is  un- 
certain— an  Ulster  force  having  marched  into  Sligo,  Thorlogh  met 
them  near  the  Curlew  mountains,  and  made  peace  with  their 
king.  A  still  more  important  interview  took  place  the  next  year 
in  the  plain,  or  3foy,  between  the  rivers  Erne  and  Drowse,  near 
the  present  Ballyshannon.  On  the  Bacchal-Tsa  and  the  relics  of 
Columbkill,  Thorlogh  and  Murkertach  made  a  solemn  peace,  which 
is  thought  to  have  included  the  recognition  of  O'Conor's  supre- 
macy. A  third  meeting  was  had  during  the  summer  in  Meath, 
where  were  present,  beside  the  Ard-Righ,  the  Prince  of  Aileach, 
Dermid  of  Leinster,  and  other  chiefs  and  nobles.  At  this  con- 
ference they  divided  Meath  into  east  and  west,  between  two 


n 


ij  .1 


128 


i»OPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


branches  of  the  family  of  MelagWin.     Part  of  Lonc^ford  and 
South  Leitrim  were  taken  from  Tiernan  O'Ruarc,  lord  of  Breffi.L 
and  an  angle  of  Meath,  including  Athboy  and  the  hill  of  Ward 
was  given  him  instead.     Earlier  in  the  same  year,  Kin<T  Thorlocrh 
had  divided  Munster  into  three  parts,  giving  Desmond  to  Ma"c. 
earthy,  Ormond  to  Thaddeus  O'Brien,  who  had  fought  under  him 
at  Moanmore,  and  leaving  the  remainder  to  the  O'Brien  who  had 
only  two  short  yo^rs  before  competed  with  him  for  the  soierei-^nty. 
By  these  subdivisions  the  politic  monarch  expected  to  weaken  to  a 
great  degree  the  power  of  the  rival  families  of  Meath  and  Munster 
It  was  an  arbitrary  policy  which  could  originate  only  on  the  fleld 
of  battle,  and  could  be  enforced  only  by  the  sanction  of  victory. 
Thorlogh  O'Brien,  once  King  of  all  Munster,  refused  to  accept  a 
mere  third,  and  carrying  away  his  jewels  and  valuables,  including 
he  drmk.ng  horn  of  the  great  Brian,  he  threw  himself  a-^ain  on 
th3  protection  of  Murkertach  of  Aileach.    The  elder  branch  of 
the  flimily  of  O'Melaghlin  were  equally  indisposed  to  accept  half 
of  Meath,  wliere  they  had  claimed  the  whole  from  the  Shannon 
to  the  sea.    To  complicate  still  more  this  tangled  web,  Dermid 
Kmg  of  L3inster,  about  the  same  time.  (A.  D.  1153,)  eloped  with 
Dervorgod,  wife  of  O'Ruarc  of  Breffai,  and  daughter  of  O'Me- 
laghlm,  who  both  apr»9aled  to  the  monarch  for  vengeance  on  the 
ravager.     Up  to  this  date  Darmid  had  acted  as  the  steadfast  ally 
of  0  Conor,  but  when  compelled  by  the  presence  of  a  powerful 
force  on  his  borders  to  restore  the  captive,  or  partner  of  his  .m\t 
heconcivel  an  enmity  for  the  age  1  king  which  he  extended* 
with  mcreased  virulence,  to  his  son  and  successor. 

Wiut  degree  of  personal  criminality  to  attach  to  this  elopement 
It  IS  hard  to  say.     The  cavalier  in  the  case  was  on  the  wintry  side 
of  fifty,  while  the  lady  had  reached  the  mature  a-e  of  forty- 
four.     Such  examples  have  been,  where  the  passions  of  youth 
sarvivm?  the  period  most  subject  to  their  influence,  have  broken 
O'lt  .v.tli  renewed  frenzy  on  the  conflnes  of  old  age.     Whether 
th.  flight  of  Dermid  and  Dervorgoil  arose  from  a  mere  criminal 
passion,  IS  not  laid  down   with  certainty  in  the  old   Annals 
though  national  and  local  tradition  strongly  point  to  that  con' 
dusion      The  Pour  Masters  indeed  state  that  after  the  restoration 
of  the  lady  she  "  returned  to  O'Ruarc,"  another  point  wanting 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


129 


conflrmation.  We  know  that  she  soon  afterwards  retireii  to  the 
shelter  of  Melllfont  Abbey,  where  she  ended  her  days  towards 
the  close  of  the  century,  in  penitence  and  alms-deeds. 

MurLogh  of  Aileach  now  became  master  of  the  situation. 
Tliorlogh  was  old  and  could  not  last  long ;  Dermid  of  Leinste? 
was  forever  estranged  from  him;  the  new  arbitrary  divisions, 
though  made  with  the  general- consent,  satisfied  no  one.    With  a 
powerful  force  he  marched  southward,  restored  to  the  elder  branch 
of  the  O'Melaghlins  the  whole  of  Maath,  defeated  Thaddeus 
O'Brien,  obliterated   Ormond  from  the  map,  restored  the  old 
bounds  of  Thomoni  and  Desmond,  and  placed  his   givest,  the 
banished  O'Brien,  on  the  throne  of  Cashel.    A  hostile  force, 
under  Roderick  O'Gonor,  was  routed,  and  retreated  to  their  own 
territory.    The  next  year  (A.  D.  1154)  was  signalized  by  a  fierce 
naval  engagement  between  the  galleys  of  King  Thorlogh  and 
those  of  Murtogh,  on  the  oast  of  Innishowen.     The  latter, 
recruitel  by  V3ssels  hired  from  the  Gael  and  Galls  of  Cantire, 
the  Arran  isles,  and  Man,  were  under  the  command  of  MacScel- 
lig;  the  Connaught  fleet  was  led  by  O'Malley  and   O'Dowd*. 
The  engagement,  which  lasted  from  the  morning  till  the  evening, 
ended  in  the  repulse  of  the  Connaught  fleet,  and  the  death  of 
O'Dowda.     The  occurrence  is  remarkable  as  the  first  general 
sea-fight  between  vessels  in  the  service  of  native  Princes,  and 
as  reminding  us  forcibly  of  the  lessons  acquired  by  the  Irish 
during  the  Danish  period. 

During  the  two  years  of  life  which  remained  to  King  Thorlogh 
O'Conor,  he  had  the  affliction  of  seeing  the  fabric  of  power,  which 
had  taken  him  nearly  half  a  century  to  construct,  abridged  at 
many  points,  by  his  more  vigorous  northern  rival.  Murtogh  gave 
law  to  territories  far  south  of  the  ancient  esker.  He  took  host- 
ages from  the  Danes  of  Dublin,  and  interposed  in  the  affairs  of 
Munster.  In  the  year  1156,  the  closing  incidents  which  signal- 
ized the  life  of  Thorlogh  More,  was  a  new  peace  which  he  made 
between  the  people  of  Breffni,  Meath,  and  Connaught,  and  the 
reception  of  hostages  from  his  old  opponent,  the  restored  O'Brien. 
While  this  new  light  of  prosperity  was  shining  on  his  house,  ha 
passed  away  from  this  life,  on  the  13th  of  the  Kalends  of  June,  in 
the  68th  year  of  his  age,  and  the  50th  of  hia  government.  By 
6* 


!i 


-  «i 

'  If     Ir 


130 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


his  last  will  he  bequeathed  to  the  clergy  numerous  legacies,  which 
are  thus  enumerated  by  Geoffrey  Keating :  "  namely,  four  hundred 
and  forty  ounces  of  gold,  and  forty  marks  of  silver;  and  all  the 
other  valuable  treasures  he  possessed,  both  cups  and  precious 
stones,  both  steeds  and  cattle  and  robes,  chess-boards,  bows, 
quivers,  arrows,  equipments,  weapons,  armor,  and  utensils."  He 
was  interred  beside  the  high  altar  of  the  Cathedral  of  Clonraac- 
noise,  to  which  he  had  been  in  life  and  in  death  a  munificent 
benefactor. 

The  Prince  of  Aileach  now  assumed  the  title  of  Monarch,  and 
after  some  short-lived  opposition  from  Rderick  O'Conor,   his 
sovereignty  was  universally  acknowledged.     From  the  year  1 161 
until  his  death,  he  might  fairly  be  called  Apd-Righ,  without  op- 
position, since  the  hostages  of  all  Ireland  were  in  those  last  five 
years  in  his  hands.     These  hostages  were  retained  at  the  chief 
seat  of  power  of  the  northern  dynasty,  the  fortress  of  Aileach, 
which  crowns  a  hill  nearly  a  thousand  feet  high,  at  the  head  of 
Lough  Svvilly.     To  this  stronghold  the  ancestor  of  Murtogh 
had  removed  early  in  the  Danish  poriod,  from  the  more  ex- 
posed and  more  ancient    Emania,   beside  Armagh.     On  that 
hill-summit  the  ruins  of  Aileach  may  still  be  triced  with  its 
inner  wall  twelve  feet  thick,  and  its  three  concentric  ramparts, 
the  first  enclosing  one  acre,  the  second  four,   and  the  last 
five  acres.    By  what  remains  we  can  still  judge  of  the  strength 
of  the  stronghold  which  watched  over    the  waters  of  Lough 
Swilly  like  a  sentinel  on  an  outpost.    No  Prince  of  the  Nor- 
thern Hy-Nial  had  for  two  centuries  entered  Aileach  in  such 
triumph  or  with  so  many  nobles  in  his  train,  as  did  Murtogh  in 
the  year  1161.     But  whether  the  supreme  power  wrought  a 
change  for  the  worse  in  his  early  character,  or  that  the  lords  of 
Ulster  had  begun  to  consider  the  line  of  Conn  as  equals  rather 
than  sovereigns,  he  was  soon  involved  in  quarrels  with  his  own 
Provincial  suffragans  which  ended  in  his  defeat  and  death.   Most 
other  kings  of  whom  we  have  read  found  their  difficulties  in 
rival  dynasties  and  provincial  prejudices;  but  this  ruler,  when 
most  freely  acknowledged  abroad,  was  disobeyed  and  defeated 
at  home.    Having  taken  prisoner  the  lord  of  Ulidia  (Down), 
with  whom  he  had  previously  made  a  solemn  peace,  he  ordered 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


131 


his  eyes  to  be  put  out,  and  three  of  liis  principal  relatives  to  be 
oxeeuteil.  This  and  other  arbitrary  acts  so  roused  the  lords  of 
Leath  Conn,  thit  they  formed  a  league  against  him,  at  the  head 
ot  whicli  stood  Doiiojfh  O'CarroU,  lord  of  Oiiel,  the  next  neighbor 
to  the  cruelly  ill-treated  chief  of  Ulidia.  In  the  year  1166,  this 
chief,  with  certain  tribes  of  Tyrone  and  North  Leitriin,  to  the 
number  of  three  battalions,  (9,000  men,)  attacked  the  patrimony 
of  the  monarch — that  lasL  menace  and  disgrace  to  an  Irish  king, 
Murtogh  with  his  usual  valor,  but  not  his  usual  fortune,  encoun- 
tered tliera  in  the  district  of  the  Fews,  with  an  inferior  force, 
chiefly  his  own  tribesmen.  Even  these  deserted  him  on  the  eve 
of  the  battle,  so  that  he  was  easily  surprised  and  slain,  only  thir- 
teen mux  falling  in  the  affray.  This  action,  of  course,  is  un- 
worthy the  name  of  a  battle,  but  resulting  in  the  death  of  the 
monarch,  it  became  of  high  political  importance. 

Roderick  O'Conor,  son  of  Thorlogh  More,  was  at  this  period 
in  the  tenth  year  of  his  reign  over  Connauglit,  and  the  fiftieth 
year  of  his  age.  Rathcrogan,  the  chief  seat  of  his  jurisdiction, 
had  just  attained  to  the  summit  of  its  glory.  The  site  of  this 
now  almost  forgotten  palace  is  traceable  in  the  parish  of  Elphin, 
within  three  miles  of  the  modern  village  of  Tulsk,  Many  objects 
contributed  to  its  interest  and  importance  in  Milesian  times. 
Tliere  were  the  Naasteaghna,  or  place  of  assembly  of  the  clans  of 
Connaught,  "  the  Sacred  Cave,"  which  in  the  Druidic  era  was 
supposed  to  be  the  residence  of  a  god,  and  the  Relig  na  Righ 
—the  venerable  cemetery  of  the  Pagan  kings  of  the  West,  where 
still  the  red  pillar  stonestood  over  the  grave  of  Dathy,  and  many 
another  ancient  tomb  could  be  as  clearly  distinguished.  The 
relative  importance  of  Rathcrogan  we  may  estimate  by  the  more 
detailed  descriptions  of  the  extent  and  income  of  its  rivals — 
Kiucorra  and  Aileach.  In  an  age  when  Roscommon  alone  con- 
tained 470  fortified  duns,  over  all  which  the  royal  rath  presided ; 
when  half  the  tributes  of  the  island  were  counted  at  its  gate,  it 
must  have  been  the  frequent  rendezvous  of  armies,  the  home  of 
many  guests,  the  busy  focus  of  intrigue,  and  the  very  elysium 
of  bards,  story-tellers,  and  mendicants.  In  an  after  generation, 
Cathal,  the  red-handed  O'Conor,  from  some  motive  of  policy 
or  pleasure,  transferred  the  seat  of  government  to  the  newly^ 


hfT 


132 


POPULAR    HISTORT    OF    lUKLAND. 


foundofl  Ballintobor :  in  the  lifetime  of  Thorlogli  Mo.-e,  anrl  tli6 
first  yoars  of  Rodericric,  when  tlio  fortunes  of  the  O'Conors  wore 
at  ilioir  full,  Rathcrogan  was  tlie  coequal  in  strength  and  'm 
splendor  of  Aik-ach  and  Kincorra. 

Advancing  direcMy  from  this  family  seat,  on  tlie  first  tiding* 
of  Murtogli's  death,  Roderick  presented  himself  before  the  walls 
of  Dublin,  which  opened  its  gates,  accepted  his  stipend  of  four 
thousand  head  of  cattle,  and  placed  hostages  for  its  lldelity  in 
his  hands.     He  next  marched  rapidly  to  Drogheda,  with  an  anx- 
iliary  force  of  Dublin  Danes,  and  there  O'Carroll,  lord  of  Oriel 
(Louth),  came  into  his  camp,  and  rendered  him  homage.    Re- 
tracing his  steps  h*>  entered  Leinster,  with  an    i  igmented  force, 
and  demanded   hostages  from  Dermid  McMurrogh.     Thirteen 
years  had  passed  since  his  father  had  taken  up  arms  to  avenge  the 
rape  of  Dervorgoil,  and  had  earned  the  deadly  hatred  of  the 
abductor.  That  hatred,  in  the  interim,  had  sufTered  no  decrease, 
and  sooner  than  submit  to  Roderick,  the  vavager,  burned  his 
own  city  of  Perns  to  the  ground,  and  retreated  into  his  fast- 
nesses.   Roderick  proceeded  southward,  obtained  the  adhesion 
of  Ossory  and  Munster ;  confirming  Desmond  to  McCarthy,  and 
Thomond  to  O'Brien.     Returning  to  Ltinster,  he  found  that 
Tiernan  O'Ruarc  had  entered  the  province,  at  the  head  of  an 
auxiliary  army,  and  Dermid,  thus  surrounded,  deserted  by  most 
of  his  own  followers,  outwitted  and  overmatche<l,  was  feign  to 
seek  safety  in  flight  beyond  leas  (A.  D.  11G8).    A  solemn  sen- 
tence of  banishment  was  publicly  i)ronounced  against  him  by 
the  assembled  Princes,   and   Morrogh,   his  cousin,  commonly 
called  luorrogh  na  Gael,  or  "  of  the  Irish,"  to  distinguish  him 
from  Dermid  na  Gall,   or  "  of  the  Stranger,"  was  inaugurated 
in  his  stead,     from  Morrogh  na  Gael  they  took  seventeen  hos- 
tages, and  so  Roderick  returned  rejoicing  to  Rathcrogan,  and 
O'Ruarc  to  Breffni,  each  vainly  imagining  that  he  had  heard  th« 
last  of  the  dissolute  and  detested  Ki?ig  of  Leinster, 


■1 

•17 


|:!!l 


POPULAR  HIP  TORT  07  IRELAND. 


IJrd 


CHAPTER  IV. 


gTATB    OP    RELIGION   AW    LEARNINO     AMONG     THB     IRISH,  PBH< 
VIOUS   TC    TU2   ANOLO-NORMAN    INVASION. 

At  the  end  of  t,he  oighth  century,  before  entering  on  the  Nor- 
wegian and  Danish  wai>;,  we  cast  a  backward  glance  on  tlie 
Cliristian  ages  over  whif'h  we  had  j-assed ;  and  now  again  we 
hare  arrived  at  the  clo3o  of  an  era,  when  a  rapid  retrospect  of 
the  religious  and  social  condition  of  tlie  country  requires  to  he 
taken. 

The  disorganization  of  the  ancient  Celtic  constitution  has  al- 
ready been  sufficiently  described.  The  rise  of  the  great  families 
and  their  struggles  for  supremacy  have  also  been  briefly 
sketched.  The  subsf ft'ition  of  the  clan  for  the  race,  of  pedigree 
for  patriotism,  has  bf^^i  exhibited  to  the  reader.  We  have  now 
to  turn  to  the  inner  life  of  the  people,  and  to  ascertain  what 
substitutes  they  forn'l  in  their  religious  and  social  condition,  tor 
the  absence  of  a  fjr^d  constitutional  system,  and  the  strength 
and.  stability  which  such  a  system  confers. 

The  followers  of  Odin,  though  they  made  no  proselytes  to 
their  horrid  creed  among  the  children  of  St.  Patrick,  succeeded 
in  inflicting  m?ny  fatal  wounds  on  the  Irish  Church.  The 
schools,  monasteries,  and  nunneries,  situated  on  harbors  or 
riven,  or  within  a  convenient  march  of  the  coast,  were  their  first 
objects  of  attack;  teachers  and  pupils  were  dispersed,  or,  if 
taken,  put  to  death,  or,  escaping,  were  driven  to  resort  to  arms 
in  self-defence.  Bishops  could  no  longer  reside  in  their  sees,  nor 
anchorites  in  their  cells,  unless  they  invited  martyrdom  ;  a  fact 
wh'ch  may,  perhaps,  in  some  degree,  account  for  the  large 
nnraber  of  Irish  ecclesiastics,  many  of  them  in  episcopal  orders, 
who  are  found,  in  the  ninth  century,  in  Qaul  and  Germany,  at 
Rhcira?,  Mentz,  Ratisbon,  Fulda,  Cologne,  and  other  places,  al- 
ready Christian.  But  it  was  not  in  Uie  banishment  of  masters, 
the  destruction  of  libraries  and  school  buildings,  the  worst  coiise- 


lU 


rOPUI.AR    HISTORY    OF    IRKI.AND. 


i] 


quences  of  tho  Qontilo  war  were  felt.  Thoir  ferocity  provoVed 
retaliation  in  kind,  and  effaced,  first  amonj?  the  military  clasg, 
and  gradually  from  among  all  others,  tliat  growing  gentleness 
of  manners  and  clemency  of  temper,  which  we  can  trace  in  such 
princes  as  Nial  of  the  Showers  and  Nial  of  Calian.  "  A  change 
in  the  national  spirit  is  the  greatest  of  all  revolutions;"  and  tlds 
change  the  Danish  and  Norwegian  wars  had  wrought,  in  two 
centuries,  among  the  Irish. 

The  number  of  Bishops  in  the  early  Irish  Church  was  greatly 
In  excess  of  the  Dumber  of  modern  dioceses.    From  the  eighth 
to  the  twelfth  century  we  hear  frequently  of  Episcopi  Vagantes, 
or  itinerant,  and  Episcopi  Vacantes,  or  unbeneficed  Bishops; 
the  Provincial  Synods  of  Englandand  Franco  frequently  had  to 
complain  of  the  influx  of  such  Bishops  into  their  country.    At 
the  Synod  held  near  the  Hill  of  Usny,  in  the  year  1111,  fifty 
Bishops  attended,  and  at  the  Synod  of  Rath-Brazil,  seven  years 
later,  according  to  Keating,  but  twenty-five  were  present.     To 
this  period,  then,  when  Celsus  was  Primate  and  Legate  of  the 
Holy  See,  we  may  attribute  tho  first  attempted  reduction  of  the 
Ei)iscopal  body  to  something  like  its  modern  number,  but  so 
far  was  this  salutary  restriction  from  being  universally  observed 
that,  at  the  Synod  of  Kells  (A.  D.  1162),  the  hierarchy  had  again 
risen  to  thirty-four,  exclusive  of  the  four  Archbishops.     Three 
hundred  priests,  and  three  thousand  ecclesiastics  are  given  as 
the  number  present  at  the  first-mentioned  Synod. 

The  religious  orders,  probably  represented  by  the  above  pro- 
portion of  tliree  thousand  ecclesiastics  to  three  hundred  [secular] 
priests  had  also  undergone  a  remarkable  revolution.     The  rule 
of  all  the  early  Irish  monasteries  and  convents  was  framed  upon 
an  original  constitution,  which  St.  Patrick  had  obtained  in  Franco 
from  St.  Martin  of  Tours,  who  in  turn  had  copied  after  the  mo- 
naciusm  of  Egypt  and  the  East.    It  is  called  by  ecclesiastical 
writers  the  Columban  rule,  and  was  more  rigid  in  some  partieu- 
lars  than  the  rule  of  St.  Benedict,  by  which  it  was  afterwards 
supplanted.     Amongst  other  restrictions  it  prohibited  the  admis- 
sion of  all  unprofessed  persons  within  the  precincts  of  the  monas- 
tery—a law  as  regards  females  incorporated  in  the  Benedictin« 
Constitution;  and  it  strictly  enjoined  sdence  on  the  professed-* 


POPULAR    HlftTORT    OF    ir.KLAND. 


186 


discipline  revived  by  tlie  brethror.  of  La  Trappe.    The  primary  dif- 
ference  bfttwoori  the  two  orders  lay  perhaps  in  this,  that  the 
Bjne  lictlue  made  study  and  the  cultivation  of  the  intellect  sub- 
ordinate  to  manual   labor  and    implicit  obedience,  while  th8 
C'llumban   Order   attached   more  importance   to    the  acquisi- 
tion of  knowledijo  and  missionary  enterprize.    Not  that    this 
WIS  their  invariable,  but  only  their  peculiar  characteristic:  a 
deep-seated  love  of  seclusion  end  meditation  often  intermingled 
witli  this  fearless  and  experimental  zeal.     It  was  not  to  be  expected 
in  a  century  like  the  nintli,  especially  when  the  Benedictine  Order 
was  overspreading  the  West,  that  its  milder  spirit  should  not  act 
upon  the  spirit  of  the  Columban  rule.     It  was,  in  effect,  more 
social,  and  less  scientific,  more  a  wisdom  to  be  acted  than  to  be 
taught.     Armed  witlj  the  syllogism,  the  Colunibites  issued  out 
of  their  remote  island,  carrying  their  strongly  marked  personality 
into  every  controversy  and  every  correspondence.     In  Germany 
and  Oaul,  their  system  blazed  up  in  Virgilius,  in  Erigena,  and 
Macarius,  and  then  disappeared  in  the  calmer,  slower,  but  safer 
march  of  the  Benedictine  discipline.    By  a  reform  of  the  same 
ancient  order,  its  last  hold  on  native  soil  was  loosened  when, 
under  the  auspices  of  St.  Malachy,  the  Cistercian  rule  was  intro- 
duced into  Ireland  the  very  year  of  his  first  visit  to  Clairvaux 
(A.  D.  1139).    St.  Mary's  Abbey,  Dublin,  was  the  first  to  adopt 
that  rule,  and  the  great  monastery  of  Mellifont,  placed  under  the 
charge  of  the  brother  of  the  Primate,  sprung  up  in  Meath  three 
years  later.    The  Abbeys  of  Bective,  Boyle,  Baltinglass,  and 
Monasternenagh,  date  from  the  year  of  Malachy's  second  journey 
to  R.  ;ae,  and  death  at  Clairvaux— A.  D.  1148.    Before  the  end 
of  the  century  the  rule  was  established  at  Fermoy,  Holycross, 
and  Odorney  ;  at  Athlone  and  Knockmoy  ;  at  Newry  and  Assa- 
roe,  and  in  almost  every  tribe-land  of  Meath  and  Leinster.     It 
is  usually,  but  erroneously  supposed  that  the  Cistercian  rule 
oime  in  with  the  Normans;  for  although  many   houses  owed 
their  foundation  to  that  race,  the  order  itself  had  been  natural, 
ized  in  Ireland  a  generation  before  the  first  landing  of  the  formU 
dable  allies  of  Dermid  on  the  coast  of  Wexford.    The  ancient 
native  order  had  apparently  fulfilled  its  mission,  and  long  rudely 
lopped  and  shaken  by  civil  commotions  and  Pagan  war,  it  wa» 


)/ 


i    I 


186 


POPULAR    HISTORY -OP   IRBLAIH). 


prepared  to  give  place  to  a  new  and  more  vigorous  organization 
of  kindred  holiness  and  energy. 

As  the  horrors  of  war  disturbed  continually  the  clergy  from 
their  sacred  calling,  and  led  many  of  them,  even  Abbots  and 
Bishops,  to  take  up  arms,  so  the  yoke  of  religion  gradually  loos- 
ened  and  dropped  from  the  necks  of  the  people.    The  awe  of 
the  eighth  century  for  a  Priest  or  Bishop  had  already  disap- 
peared in  the  tenth,  when  Christian  hands  were  found  to  decapitate 
Cormac  of  Cashel,  and  offer  his  head  as  a  trophy  to  the  Ard- 
Righ.    In  the  twelfth  century  the  Archbishop  and  Bishops  of  Con- 
naught,  bound  to  the  Synod  of  Trim,  were  fallen  upon  by  the  Kern 
of  Carbre  the  Swift,  before  they  could  cross  the  Shannon,  their 
people  beaten  and  dispersed  and  two  of  them  killed.    In  the 
time  of  Thorlogh  More  O'Conor,  a  similar  outrage  was  offered  by 
Tiernan  O'Ruarc  to  the  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  and  one  of  his 
ecclesiastics  was  killed  in  the  assault.    Not  only  for  the  persons 
of  ministers  of  religion  had  the  ancient  awe  and  reverence  disap- 
peared, but  even  for  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  Sanctuary.    lu 
the  second  century  of  the  war  with  the  Northmen  we  begin  to 
hear  of  churches  and  cloisters  plundered  by  native  chiefs,  who 
yet  called  themselves  Christians,  though  in  every  such  instance 
our  annalists  are  careful  to  record  the  vengeance  of  Heaven  fol- 
lowing swift  on  sacrilege.    Clonmacnoise,  Kiklare,  and  Lismore, 
were  more  than  once  rifled  of  their  wealth  by  impious  hands,  and 
given  over  to  desolation  and  burning  by  so-called   Christian 
nobles  and  soldiers !    It  is  some  mitigation  of  the  dreadful  record 
thus  presented  to  be  informed — as  we  of'en  are — especially  in 
the  annals  of  the  twelfth  century,  that  the  treasures  so  pillaged 
were  not  the  shrines  of  saints  nor  the  sacred  ornaments  of  the 
altar,  but  the  temporal  wealth  of  temporal  proprietors,  laid  up 
in  churches  as  places  of  greatest  security. 

The  estates  of  the  Church  were,  in  most  instances,  farmed  by 
laymen,  called  jSrenachs,  who,  in  the  relaxation  of  all  discipline, 
seem  to  have  gradually  appropriated  the  lands  to  themselves, 
leaving  to  the  Clergy  and  Bishops  only  periodical  dues  and  the 
actual  enclosure  of  the  Church.  This  office  of  Erenach  was 
hereditary,  and  must  have  presented  many  strong  temptations  to 
Its  occupants.    It  is  indeed  certain  that  the  Irish  Church  was 


t 


i  ! 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


131 


originally  founded  on  the  broadest  voluntaryism,  and  that  such 
was  the  spirit  of  all  its  most  illustrious  fathers.  "  Content  with 
food  and  raiment,"  says  an  ancient  Canon  attributed  to  St. 
Patrick,  "  reject  the  gifts  of  the  wicked  beside,  seeing  that  the 
lamp  takes  only  that  with  which  it  is  fed."  Such,  to  the  letter, 
was  the  maxim  which  guided  the  conduct  of  Colman  and  his 
brethren,  of  whom  Bede  makes  such  honorable  mention,  in  the 
bird  century  after  the  preaching  of  St.  Patrick.  But  the  mu- 
nificence of  tribes  and  Princes  was  not  to  be  restrained,  and  to 
obviate  any  violation  of  the  revered  canons  of  the  apostle,  lay- 
men, as  treasurers  and  stewards  over  the  endowments  of  the 
Church,  were  early  appointed.  As  those  possessions  increased, 
the  desire  of  family  aggrandizement  proved  too  much  for  the 
Erenachs  not  only  of  .  rraagh,  but  of  most  other  sees,  and  left 
the  clergy  as  practically  dependent  on  free-will  offerings,  as  if 
their  Cathedrals  or  Convents  had  never  been  endowed  with  an 
acre,  a  mill,  a  ferry,  or  a  fishery.  The  free  ofierings  were,  how- 
ever, always  generous  and  sometimes  munificent.  When  Cel- 
sus,  on  his  elevation  to  the  Primacy,  made  a  tour  of  the  southern 
half-kingdom,  he  received  "  seven  cows  and  seven  sheep,  and 
half  an  ounce  of  silver  from  every  cantred  [hundred]  in  Munster." 
The  bequests  were  also  a  fruitful  source  of  revenue  to  the  princi- 
pal foundations;  of  the  munificence  of  the  monarchs  we  may 
form  some  opinion  by  what  has  been  already  recorded  of  the  gifts 
left  to  clmrches  by  Thorlogh  More  O'Conor. 

The  power  of  the  clerical  order,  in  these  ages  of  Pagan  warfare, 
had  very  far  declined  from  what  it  was,  when  Adamnan  caused 
the  law  to  be  enacted  to  prevent  women  going  to  battle,  when 
Moling  obtained  the  abolition  of  the  Leinster  tribute,  and 
Columbkill  the  recognition  of  Scottish  independence.  Truces 
made  in  the  presence  of  the  highest  dignitaries,  and  sworn  to  on 
the  most  sacred  relics,  were  frequently  violated,  and  often  with 
impunity.  Neither  excommunication  nor  public  penance  were 
latterly  inflicted  as  an  atonement  for  such  perjury;  a  fine  or 
oflering  to  the  Church  was  the  easy  and  only  mule  on  the 
offender.  When  we  see  the  safeguard  of  the  Bishop  of  Cl'ork  so 
flagrantly  disregarded  by  the  assassins  of  Mahon,  son  of  Kennedy, 
•nd  the  solemn  peace  of  the  year  1094  so  readily  broken  by  two 


138 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


If    > 


«uch  mer  as  the  Princes    of  the  North  and  the   South     we 

ddJTo'  h  "'.°>"'"'^'  ^'^'■™.  '«  i'«  DO  uncommon  ta- 
eident,  from  the  moth  century  downwards,  to  tod  our  Prince 
w,.h  more  than  one  wife  IWng,  and  the  r.;ud,ated  wl  m  Xd 

with  »ll  fi..      "  """"^  "»'  "■  needed  a  generation  of  Bishops 

clrs     T 1  Thf  *".""  '""'  *^  ""S'''  -™Pte  Of  their  an- 
rider  !h      "'^7^""°"  'o™'-''^  a  better  life  had  strongly  set 

whi"  in  theThT'"'  '™  "^^  """^  '"-  «-  ''""-With 

S~^:=^;^:f:,:r:rs:f^2r 

had^al^ady  revived  the  zea,  that  precedes  and  ensnre's  rSZl 

Jd:Tn?he"ti^/;ifritrh  ■■"  r ""'"  °'  «^'"'  ^-- 


^iPi 


li 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


139 


women.  The  attention  of  Rome  was  thoroughly  aroused,  and 
immediately  after  the  appearance  of  the  Life  of  Saint  Malachy, 
Pope  Eugenius  III.— himself  a  monk  of  Clair vaulx -despatched 
Cardinal  Papiron,  with  legantine  powers,  to  correct  abuses,  and 
establish  a  stricter  discipline.  After  a  tour  of  great  part  of  the 
Island,  the  Legate,  with  whom  was  associated  Gilla-Criost,  oi 
Christianus,  Bishop  of  Lismore,  called  the  great  Synod  of  Kells, 
early  in  the  year  after  his  arrival  (March,  1152),  at  which  simony, 
usury,  concubinage,  and  otherabuses,  were  formally  condemned, 
and  tythes  were  first  decreed  to  be  paid  to  the  secular  clergy. 
Two  new  Archbishoprics,  Dublin  and  Tuam,  were  added  to  Ar- 
magh and  Cashel,  though  not  without  decided  opposition  from 
the  Primates,  both  of  Leath  Mogha  and  Leath  Conn,  backed  by 
those  stern  conservatives  of  every  national  usage,  the  Abbots  ol 
the  Columban  Order.  The  pallium,  or  Roman  cape,  was,  by 
this  Legate,  presented  to  each  of  the  Archbishops,  and  a  clos6r 
conformity  with  the  Roman  ritual  was  enacted.  The  four  ec-' 
clesiastical  Provinces  thus  created  were  in  outline  nearly  identi- 
cal with  the  four  modern  Provinces.  Armagh  was  declared  the 
metropolitan  over  all ;  Dublin,  which  had  been  a  mere  Danish 
borough-see,  gained  most  in  rank  and  influence  by  the  new  ar- 
rangement, as  aiendalough,  Ferns,  Ossory,  Kildare  and  Leighlin, 
were  declared  subject  to  its  presidency. 

We  must  always  bear  in  mind  the  picture  drawn  of  the  Irish 
Church  by  the  inspired  orator  of  Clairvaulx,  when  judging  of  the 
conduct  of  Pope  Adrian  IV.,  who,  in  the  year  1155— the  second 
of  his  Pontificate— granted  to  King  Henry  II.  of  England,  theu 
newly  crowned,  his  Bull,  authorizing  the  invasion  of  Ireland. 
The  authenticity  of  that  Bull  is  now  universally  admitted ;  and 
both  its  preamble  and  conditions  show  how  stnctly  it  was  framed 
in  accordance  with  St.  Bernard's  accusation.  It  sets  forth  that 
for  the  eradication  of  vice,  the  implanting  of  virtue  and  the*spread 
of  the  true  faith,  the  Holy  Father  solemnly  sanctions  the  pro- 
jected invasion ;  and  it  attaches  as  a  condition,  the  payment  of 
Peter's  pence,  for  every  house  in  Ireland.  The  bearer  of  the 
Bull,  John  of  Salisbury,  carried  back  from  Rome  a  gold  ring, 
set  with  an  emerald  stone,  as  a  token  of  Adrian's  friendship,  or 
it  may  be,  his  si      ifeudation  of  Heury.    As  a  titl'    howevei 


140 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRKLAND. 


, 


powerless  in  modern  times  such  a  Bull  might  prove,  it  was  t 
formidable  weapon  of  iuvasiou  with  a  Catholic  peo;)le,  in  the 
twelfth  century.  We  have  mainly  referred  to  it  here,  however, 
as  an  illustration  of  how  entirely  St.  Bernard's  impeachment  of 
the  Irish  Church  and  nation  was  believed  at  Rome,  even  after  the 
salutary  decrees  of  the  Synod  of  Kells  had  been  promulgated. 

The  restoration  of  religion  which  was  making  such  rapid  pro- 
gress previous  to  the  Norman  invasion,  was  accompanied  by  a 
relative  revival  of  learning.    The  dark  ages  of  Ireland  are  not  those 
of  the  rest  of  Europe— they  extend  from  the  middle  of  the  ninth 
century  to  the  age  of  Brian  and  Malachy  II.    This  darkness 
came  from  the  North,  and  cleared  away  rapidly  after  the  eventful 
day  of  Clontarf.     The  first  and  most  natural  direction  which  the 
revival  took  was  historical  investigation,  and  the  composition  of 
Annals.    Of  these  invaluable  records,  the  two  of  highest  reputation 
are  those  of  Tigernach  (Tiernan)  O'Broin,  brought  down  to  the 
year  of  his  own  death,  A.  D.  1088,  and  the  chronicle  of  Marianus 
Scotus,  who  died  at  Mentz,  A.  D.  1086.    Tiernan  was  abbott  of 
Clonmacnoise,  and  Marian  is  thought  to  have  been  a  monk  of 
that  monastery,  as  he  spodks  of  a  superior  called  Tigernach,  under 
whom  he  had  lived  in  Ireland.   Both  these  learned  men  quote  accu- 
rately the  works  of  foreign  writers;   both  give  the  dates  of 
eclipses,  in  connection  with  historical  events  for  several  cen- 
turies before  their  own  time  ;  both  show  a  familiarity  with  Greek . 
and  Latin  authors.     Marianus  is  the  first  writer  by  whom  the 
name  Scotia  Minor  was  given  to  the  Gaelic  settlement  in  Cale- 
donia, and  his  chronicle  was  an  authority  mainly  relied  on  in  the 
disputed  Scottish  succession  in  the  time  of  Edward  I.  of  England. 
With  Tigernach,  he  may  be  considered  the  founder  of  the  school 
of  Irish  Annalists,  which  flourished  in  tlie  shelter  of  the  great 
monasteries,  such  as  Innisfallen,  Boyle  and   Multifernau;  and 
culminated  in  the  great  compilation  made  by  "  the  Four  Masters" 
iu  the  Abbey  of  Donegal, 

Of  the  Gaelic  metrical  chroniclers,  Flann  of  the  Monastery,  and 
Gilla-Coeman  ;  of  the  Bards  McLiag  and  McCoisse ;  of  the  learner 
professors  and  lectors  of  Lismore  and  Armagh — now  restored  lor 
a  season  to  studious  days  and  peaceful  nights,  we  must  be  con- 
tout  with  the  mention  of  their  names.    Of  Lismore,  after  its  res- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


141 


toration,  an  old  British  writer  has  left  us  this  pleasant  and  happy 
picture.  "  It  is,"  he  says,  "  a  famous  and  holy  city,  half  of  wliich 
is  an  asylum,  into  which  n-o  woman  dares  enter ;  but  it  is  full  of 
cells  and  monasteries;  and  religious  men  in  great  abundance 
abide  there." 

Such  was  the  promise  of  better  days,  which  cheered  the  hopes 
of  the  Pastors  of  the  Irish,  when  the  twelfth  century  had  entered 
on  Its  third  quarter.    The  pious  old  Gaelic  proverb,  which  says, 

"on  the  Cross  the  face  of  Christ  was  looking  westwards ," 

was  again  on  the  lips  and  in  the  hearts  of  men,  and  though  much 
remained  to  be  done,  much  had  been  already  done,  and  done 
under  difficulties  greater  than  any  that  remained  to  conquer. 


■•♦•■ 


CHAPTER  V. 

SOCIAL    CONDITION    OF    THE    IRISH    PREVIOUS    TO    THE    NOBMAM 

INVASION. 

The  total  population  of  Ireland,  when  the  Normans  first  en- 
tered it,  can  only  be  approximated  by  conjecture.  Supposing 
the  whole  force  with  which  Roderick  and  his  allies  invested  the 
Normans  in  Dublin,  to  be,  as  stated  by  a  cotemporary  writer, 
some  50,000  men,  and  that  that  force  included  one-fourth  of  all 
the  men  of  the  military  age  in  the  country ;  and  further  sup- 
posing the  men  of  military  age  to  bear  the  proportion  of  one-flfth 
to  the  whole  number  of  inhabitants,  this  would  give  a  total  popu- 
lation  of  about  one  million.  Even  this  coiuecture  is  to  be  taken 
with  great  diffidence  and  distrust,  but,  for  the  sake  of  clearness, 
it  is  set  down  as  a  possible  Irish  census,  towards  the  close  of  the 
twelfth  century. 

This  population  was  divided  into  two  great  classes,  the  Saer- 
Clanna,  or  free  tribes,  chiefly,  if  not  exclusively,  of  Milesian 
race ;  and  tte  Daer-Clanna,  or  unfree  tribes,  consisting  of  the  de- 
scendant of  the  subjugated  older  races  or  of  clam^  once  free,  re- 
duc3d  to  servitude  by  the  sword,  or  of  the  po.^erity  of  foreign  mer- 
cenary soldiers.    Of  the  free  clans,  the  most  illustrious  w.  re  thos« 


142 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


III!  !| 


m 


In  > 


iiit 


of  whose  Princes  we  have  traced  the  record — the  descendants  of 
Nial  in  Ulster  and  Meath,  of  CaLhaeir  More  in  Leinster,  of  Oliold 
in  Munster,  and  of  Eochaid  in  Oonnaught.    An  arbitrary  divi- 
sion once  limited  the  free  clans  to  six  in  the  southern  half-king- 
dom, and  six  in  the  north ;  and  the  unfree  also  to  six.    But  Geof- 
frey Keating,  whose  love  of  truth  was  quite  as  strong  as  his 
credulity  in  ancient  legends — and  that  is  saying  much — dis- 
claimed that  classification,  and  collected  his  genealogies  from 
principal  heads— branching  out  into  three  families  of  tribes,  de- 
scended from  Ileber  Finn,  one  from  Ir,  and  four  from  Heremhon, 
sons  of  Milesians  of   Spain;    and  a  ninth  tribe  sprung  from 
Ith,  granduncle  to  the  sons  of  Milesius.     The  principal  HebOi 
rian  families'   names   were    McCarthy,    O'SuUivan,   O'Mahony, 
0  Donovan,  O'Brien,  O'Daa,  O'Quin,  McMahon  (of  Clare),  McNa- 
mara,  OCarroU  (of  Ely),  and  O'Gara ;  the  Irian  families  \vere 
M  igennis,  OFarrall,  and  O'Conor  (of  Kerry) ;  the  posterity  of 
Horenihon  branched  out  into  the  O'Neils,  O'Donnells,  O'Doher- 
ty's  OGaliahers,  O'Boyles,  McGeoghegans,  0  Conors  (of  Con- 
naught),    O'Elah^rtys,     O'Heynes,     O'Shaughnessys,    O'Clerys, 
O'Dowdas,  McDonalds  (of  Antrim),  O'Kellys,  Maguires,  Kava- 
naghs,  Fitzpatricks,  O'Dwyers,  and  O'Conors  (of  Offally).     The 
chief  families  of  Ithian  origin  were  the  O'DriscoUa,  O'Learys, 
Coflfeys,  and  Clancys.    Out  of  the  greater  tribes  many  subdi- 
visions arose  from  time  to  time,  when  new  names  were  coined 
from  some  intermediate  ancestor ;  but  the  farther  enumeration 
of  these  may  be  conveniently  dispensed  with. 

The  Daer-Olanna,  or  unfree  tribes,  have  left  no  history. 
Under  the  despotism  of  the  Milesian  kings  it  was  high  treason  to 
record  the  actions  of  the  conquered  race  ;  so  that  the  Irish  Belgaa 
fared  as  badly  in  this  respect,  at  the  hands  of  the  Miletiian 
historians,  as  the  latter  fared  in  after  times  from  the  chroniclers 
of  the  Normans.  We  only  know  that  such  tribes  were,  and  that 
their  numbers  and  physical  force  more  than  once  excited  the 
apprehension  of  the  children  of  the  conquerors.  What  propor- 
tion they  bore  to  the  Saer-Olanna  we  have  no  positive  data  to 
determine.  A  fourth,  a  fifth,  or  a  sixth,  they  may  have  been; 
but  one  thing  is  certain,  the  jeaJo«;j  policy  of  the  superior 
race  never  permitted  them  to  rea;  cend  the  plane  of  equality,  ■ 


POPULAR    HISTORT    OF   IRELAND. 


?43 


from  which  they  had  been  burled,  at  the  very  commencemeiK 
of  the  Milesian  ascendancy. 

In  addition  to  the  enslaved  by  conquest  and  tlie  enslaved  from 
crimo.  there  'vere  also  the  enslaved  by  purchase.      From  flie 
earliest  period,  slave  dealers  from  Ireland  had  frequented  Bri». 
tol,  the  great  British  slave  market,  to  purchase  human  beirK^s. 
Christian  morality,  though  it  may  have  mitigated  the  horrors^of 
«h!s  odious  traffic,  did  not  at  once  lead  to  its  abolition.    In  vain 
Saint  Wulfstan  preached  against  it  in  the  South,  as  Saint  Aidan 
had  done  long  before  in  the  North  of  England.     Files  of  fair- 
haired  Saxon  slaves,  of  both  sexes,  yoked  together  ^vith  ropes 
continued  to  be  shipped  at  Bristol,  and  bondmen  and  bonrhvomen 
continued  to  be  articles  of  value-exchanged  between  the  Prince 
and  his  subordinates,  as  stipend  or  tribute.     The  Kino  of  Cashel 
alone  gave  to  the  chief  of  the  Eugenians,  as  part  of  'his  annual 
stipend,  ten  bondmen  and  ten  women  ;  to  the  lord  of  Bruree 
seven  pages  and  seven  bondwomen ;  to  tlie  lord  of  the  Deisi' 
eight  slaves  of  each  sex,  and  seven  female  slaves  to  tiie  lord  of 
Kerry;  among  the  items  which  makeup  the  tribute  from  Os- 
Bory  to  Cashel  are  ten  bondmen  and  ten  grown  women;  and 
from  the   Deisi,   eight    bondmen    and    eight   "brown-haired" 
women.  Theannual  exchanges  of  this  description,  set  down  as  due 
m  the  Book  of  Rights,  would  require  the  transfer  of  several  bun- 
d.eds  of  slaves  yearly,  from  one  set  of  masters  to  another 
Cruelties  and  outrages  must  have  been  inseparable  from  the  sys- 
tem, and  we  can  hardly  wonder  at  the  sweeping  decree  by  which 
the  Synod  of  Armagh  (A.  D.  1171)  declared  all  the  Enolish 
slaves  in  Ireland  free  to  return  to  their  homes,  and  anathe"ina- 
tiz;.d  the  whole  inhuman  traffic.    The  fathers  of  that  council 
looked  upon  the  Norman  invasion  as  a  punishment  from  Heaven 
on  the  slave  trade;  for  they  believed  in  their  purity  of  hear^ 
that  power  is  transferred  trom  one  nation  to  another,  because  of 
vijustices,  oppressions,  and  divers  deceits. 

The  purchased  slaves  and  unfree  tribes  tilled  the  soil  and 
practised  the  mechanic  arts.  Agriculture  seems  first  to  'have 
been  lifted  into  respectability  by  the  Coluniban  Monks,  while 
spinning,  weaving,  and  ahr.ost  every  mechanic  calling,  if  we  ex- 
cept the  scribe,  the  armorer,  and  the  bell-founder' continued 


in>— I 


144 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT    OF   IBBLAND. 


down  to  very  recent  times  to  be  held  in  contempt  among  the 
Gael.  A  brave  man  is  mentioned  ae  having  be"i  a  "  weaving 
woman's  son,"  with  much  the  same  emphasis  as  Jepthu  is  spoken 
of  as  the  son  of  an  Harlot.  Mechanic  wares  were  disposed  of  at 
those  stated  gatherings,  which  combined  popular  games,  chariot 
races  for  the  nobles,  and  markets  for  the  merchants.  A  Bard  of 
the  tenth  or  eleventh  century,  in  a  desperate  effort  to  va?y  the 
usual  high-flown  descriptions  of  the  country,  calls  it  •'  Erin  of  the 
/lundred  fair  greens,"— a  very  graphic,  if  not  a  very  poetic 
illustration. 

The  administration  of  justice  was  an  hereditary  trust,  com- 
mittei  to  certain  judicial  families,  who  held  their  lands,  as  the 
Monks  did,  by  virtue  of  their  profession.  When  the  posterity  of 
the  Brehon,  or  Judge,  failed,  it  Avas  permitted  to  adopt  from  the 
class  of  students,  a  male  representative,  in  whom  the  judicial 
authority  was  perpetuated  :  the  families  of  O'Gnive  and  O'Clery 
in  the  North,  of  0  Daly  in  Meath,  O'Doran  in  Leinster,  McEgan 
In  Muister,  Mulconry  or  Conroy  in  Connaught,  were  the  most 
distinguished  Brehon  houses.  Some  peculiarities  of  the  Brehon 
^aw,  relating  to  civil  succession  and  sovereignty,  such  as  the  in- 
stitution of  Tanistry,  and  the  system  of  stipends  and  tributes, 
have  been  already  explained ;  parricide  and  murder  were  in 
latter  ages  punished  with  death  ;  homicide  and  rape  uy  eric  or 
flue.  There  were  besides  the  laws  of  gavel-kind  or  division  of 
property  amonj^  the  members  of  the  clan;  laws  relating  to 
boundaries ;  sumptuary  laws  regulating  the  dress  of  the  various 
castes  into  which  society  was  divided  ;  laws  relating  to  the  plant- 
in?  of  trees,  the  trespass  ot  cattle,  and  billeting  of  troops. 
These  laws  were  either  written  in  detail,  or  consisted  of  certain 
acknowledged  ancient  maxims  of  which  the  Brehon  made  the 
application  in  ea  '•  particular  case,  answering  to  what  we  call 
"  Judge-made  law."  Of  such  ancient  tracts  as  composed  the 
Celtic  code,  an  immense  number  have  fortunately  survived,  even 
to  this  late  day,  and  we  may  shortly  expect  a  complete  digest  of 
all  that  are  now  known  to  exist,  in  a  printed  and  imperishable 
form,  from  the  hands  of  native  scholars,  every  way  competent 
to  the  task. 

TUe  commerce  of  the  country,  in  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  oeu. 


POPULAR   HISTOaY    OF    IRELAND. 


145 


Curies,  was  largely  in  the  hands  of  the  Christian  Hibemo-Danes 
of  the  eastern  and  southern  coast.    By  them  the  slave  trade  with 
Bristol  was  mostly  maintained,  and  the  Irish  oak,  with  which 
Wilham  Rufus  roofed  Westminster  Abbey,  was  probably  rafted 
by  them  in  the  Thames.    The  English  and  Welsh  coasts,  at  leaat 
wera  familiar  to  their  pilots,  and  they  combined,  as  was  usual  in 
that  age,  the  military  with  the  mercantile  character.    In  1142 
and  again  in  1165,  a  troop  of  Dublin  Danes  fought  under  Nor^ 
man  banners  against  the  brave  Britons  of  Cambria,  and  in  the 
camps  of  their  allies  sung  the  praises  of  the  fertile  island  of  the 
west.    The  hundred  fairs  of  Erin-after  their  conversion  and 
submission  to  native  authority-afforded  them  convenient  mar- 
kots  'or  disposing  of  the  commodities  they  imported  from  abroad 
The  Gaelic  mind,  long  distracted  by  the  din  of  war  from  the  pu- 
rifying  and  satisfying  influences  of  a  Christian  life,  naturally  fell 
back  upon  the  abandoned,  half-forgotten  superstitions  of  the 
Pagan  period.    Preceding  every  fresh  calamity  we  hear  of  sicrns 
and  wonders,  of  migratory  lakes  disappearing  in  a  night,  of  birds 
anl  wolves  speakia?  with  human  voices,  of  showers  of  blood 
falling  in  the  fields,  of  a  whale  with  golden  teeth  stranded  at 
Carlingford,  of  cloud  ships,  with  their  crews,  seen  plainly  sailing 
m  the  sky.    One  of  the  marvels  of  this  class  is  thus  gravely  en- 
tered  in  our  Annals,  under  the  year  1054—"  A  steeple  of  Are  was 
fieen  in  the  air  over  Rossdala,  on  the  Sunday  of  the  festival  of 
St.  George,  for  the  space  of  five  hours ;  innumerable  black  birds 
pMsed  into  and  out  of  it,  and  one  large  bird  in  the  middle  of 
thrin ;  and  the  little  birds  went  under  his  wings  when  they  went 
mio  the  steeple.    They  came  out  and  raised  up  a  greyhound  that 
was  in  the  middle  of  the  town  aloft  in  the  air,  and  let  it  drop 
down  again,  so  that  it  died  immediately ;  and  they  took  up  three 
cloaks  and  two  shirts,  and  let  them  drop  down  in  the  same  man- 
aer.    The  wood  on  which  these  birds  perche  1  fell  under  them ; 
•nd  the  oak  tree  on  which  they  perched  shook  with  its  roots  in  . 
ihe  earth."    In  many  other  superstitions  of  the  same  age  we  see  ' 
Kie  latent  moral  sentiment,  as  well  as  the  over-excited°imacrina. 
«on  of  the  people.     Such  is  the  story  of  the  stolen  jeweFs  of 
flonmacnoise,  providentially  recovered  in  the  year  1130.    The 
thief  in  vain  endeavored  to  escape  out  of  the  country,  from  Cork 
13  ' 


'iJBSSSBi 


mmm 


5S 


140 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


Llamore,  and  Watorford,  "  but  no  ship  into  which  he  entered 
found  a  wind  to  sail,  while  all  the  other  ships  did."  And  tlie 
oonscionoB  striken  thief  declared,  in  his  dying  confession,  that  he 
useti.  ic  if  1  o  .  t  Kioran  "  stopping,  with  his  crozier,  every  ship 
Joi/,  !<!( :.  '."  entered."  It  was  also  an  amiable  popular  illusion 
Ihat  aoundant  harvests  followed  the  making  of  peace,  the  enact- 
ing of  salutary  laws,  and  the  accession  of  a  King  who  loved  jus- 
tice ;  and  careful  e;itry  is  made  in  our  chronicles  of  every  evi- 
dence of  this  character. 

The  literature  •'  tuj  .u3,ibst>3  of  the  people  was  pretty  equally 
composed  of  the  legends  of  the  Saints  and  the  older  Ossianic 
legend,  so  much  misunderstood  and  distorted  by  modern  criti- 
cism. The  legends  of  the  former  class  wore  chiefly  wonders 
wrought  by  the  favorite  Saints  of  the  district  or  the  island, 
embellished  with  many  quaint  fancies  and  tagged  out  with  rem- 
nants of  old  Pagan  superstition.  St.  Columbkill  and  St,  Kieran 
were,  moat  commonly,  the  heroes  of  those  tales,  which,  perhaps, 
were  never  intended  by  their  authors  to  be  seriously  believed. 
Such  was  the  story  of  the  great  founder  of  lona  having  trans- 
formed the  lady  and  her  maid,  who  insulted  him  on  his  way  to 
Drom-Keth,  into  two  herons,  who  are  doomed  to  hover  about 
the  neighboring  ford  till  the  day  of  doom ;  and  such  that  other 
story  of  "  the  three  first  monks"  who  joined  St.  Kieran  in  tho 
desert,  being  a  fox,  a  badger,  and  a  bear,  all  endowed  with  speech, 
and  all  acting  a  part  in  the  legend  true  to  their  own  instincts. 
Of  higher  poetic  merit  is  the  legend  of  the  voyage  of  St.  Bren- 
dan over  the  great  sea,  and  how  the  birds  which  sung  vespers 
for  him  in  the  groves  of  the  Promised  Land  were  inhabited  by 
human  souls,  as  yet  in  a  state  of  probation  waiting  for  their 
release ! 

In  the  Ossianic  legend  we  have  the  common  stock  of  Oriental 
ideas— the  metamorphosis  of  guilty  wives  and  haughty  concu- 
bines into  dogs  and  birds ;  the  Hpeaking  beasts  and  fishes;  the 
enchanted  swans,  originally  daughters  of  Lir ;  the  boar  of  Bon 
Bulben,  by  which  the  champion,  Diarmid,  was  slain  ;  the  PIkb- 
nix  in  the  stork  of  Inniskea,  of  which  there  never  was  but  one, 
yet  that  one  perpetually  reproduced  itself;  the  spirits  of  the 
wood,  and  the  spirits  inhabiting  sprin^js  and  >jtrearas  ;  tho  fairy 


POPULAR    IllSrOftV    OF    IRELAND. 


147 


horse;  the  sacred  trees;  U,o  starry  ii.fluencos.  Monstrous  an<l 
giKaatic  J.uman  shapes,  like  the  Jinns  of  the  Arabian  Uiles  oc- 
rusu,nally  enter  into  the  plotan.l  play  a  rnidnijil.t  part,  malia.'uu.t 
to  the  hopes  of  good  men.  At  their  approach  the  carlh  is 
troubled,  the  moon  is  overcast,  gusts  of  si.„m  aro  shak,  ,  out 
from  the  folds  of  their  garments,  the  watch  dogs  an<l  the  war 
dogs  cower  down,  in  camp  and  rath,  and  whine  piLeously,  as  if  in 
pam. 

The  variety  of  grace,  and  peculiarities  of  organization,  with 
which,  If  not  the  original,  certainly  the  Christianized  Irish  imag- 
inatton,  endowed  and   equipi>ed   the  personages  of  the  fairy 
world,  were  of  almost  Grecian  delicacy.     There  is  no  personal 
who  r.so.  to  the  sublime  height  of  Zeus,  or  the  incomparable 
union  of  beauty  and  wisdom  in  Pallas  Athene :  what  forms  Bol 
or  Crom,  or  Bride,  the  queen  of  Celtic  song,  may  have  worn 
to  the  pre-Christian  ages  v/e  know  not,  nor  can  know;  hut  the 
m:nor  creations  of  Greciiu,  fancy,  with  which  they  peopled  their 
grovds  and  fountair.s,  are  true  kindred  of  the  brain,  to  the  inno- 
cent, mtelligent,  and  generally  gentle  inhabitants  of  the  Gaelic 
Fairyland.     The  Sidhe,  a  tender,  tutelary  spirit,  attached  herself 
to  heroes,  accompanied  them  in  battle,  shrouded  them  with  in- 
vis.bdity,  dressed  their  wounds  with  more  than  mortal  skill   and 
watched  over  them  with  more  than  mortal  love;  the  BansL,  a 
sad  Oassandra-hke  spirit,  shrieked  her  weird  warning  in  advance 
of  death,  but  with  a  prejudice  eminently  Milesian,  watched  only 
over  those  of  pure  blood,  whether  their  fortunes  abode  in  hovel 
or  hall.    The  more  modern  and  grotesque  persona  ^es  of  the  Fairv 
world  a.^  sufficiently  known  to  render  description  unnecessary.' 
Two  habitual  sources  of  social  enjoyment  and  occupation 
with  the  In^H  of  those  days  were  music  and  chess.     The  harn 
was  the  favo.  te  instrument,  but  the  horn  or  trumpet,  and  Z 
pibroch  or  bagpipe,  were  also  in  common  use.    Not  only  profes- 
sional performors,  but  men  ana  women  of  all  ranks,  from  the 
humblest  lo  the  highest,  prided  themselves  on  some  knowledge  <>( 
instrumental  music.     It  seems  to  have  form  d  part  of  the^edu- 
cation  of  every  order,  and  to  have  been  cherished  alike  in  the 
palace,  the  shielin,,,  and  the  cloister.     «'  It  is  a  poor  church  that 
has  no  music,"  is  a  Oaelic  proverb,  as  old,  periiaps,  as  the  ostab 


•  TtMBwmatftwn 


III 


u 


ii.i  ] 


I  ! 


148 


POPULAR    HI8TORT    OF    IRELAND. 


lishmflnt  of  ChrlHtianity  \n  tho  land ;  and  no  house  wan  con- 
sidered furnisliod  without  at  least  one  harp.  Students  fn.m  other 
countries,  as  wo  learn  from  GiraJdua,  catne  to  Ireland  for  their 
musical  education  in  the  twelfth  ceritury,  just  as  our  artists  now 
▼Isit  Qormany  and  Italy  with  the  same  object  in  view. 

The  frequent  mention  of  the  game  of  chess,  in  ages  long  before 
those  at  which  we  have  arrivo<l,  .shows  how  usual  was  that  most 
intellectual  anmseraont.     The  chess  board  was  called  in  Irish 
fithcheall,  and  is  described  in  the  Glossary  of  Cormac,  of  Cashel, 
composed  towards  the  close  of  the  ninth  century,  as  quadran- 
gular, bavins;  straiglit  spots  of  black  and  white.     Some  of  them 
were  inlaid  with  gold  and  silver,  and  adorned  with  gems.     Mention 
is  made  in  a  tale  of  the  twelfth  contnry  of  a  "  man-bag  of  woven 
brass  wire."    No  entire  set  of  tiie  ancient  men  is  now  known 
to  exist,  though  fre<iuent  mention  is  made  of  "  the  brigade  or 
family  of  chessmen,"  in  many  old  manuscripts.    Kings  of  bone, 
seated  in  sculptured  chairs,  about  two  inches  in  height,  have 
been  found,  and  specimens  of  them  engraved  in  recent  antiqua- 
rian publications. 

It  only  remains  to  notice,  very  briefly,  the  means  of  locomotion 
which  bound  and  brought  together  this  singular  state  of  society. 
Fiiro  great  roads,  radiating  from  Tara,as  a  centre,  are  mentioned 
in  our  earliest  record  ;  the  road  Dala  leading  to  Ossory,  and  so 
on  into  Munster;   the  road  ^ssat7,  extending  western  through 
Mullingar  towards    the    Shannon;    the  road    Cullin,   extend- 
ing   towards    Dublin    and    Bray;    the    exact    route    of    the 
northern    road,   Midhluachra,   is    undetermined ;    Slighe  Mur, 
the  great    western   road,   followed   the   course  of   the  esker 
or   hill-range,   from  Tara   to   Galvvay.    Many  cross-roads    are 
also  known  as  in  common  use  from  the  sixth  century  downwards. 
Of  these,  the  Four  Masters  mention,  at  various  dates,  not  less 
than  forty,  under  their  difTerent  local  names,  previous  to  the 
Norman  invasion.     These  roads  were  kept  in  repair,  according 
t"-)  laws  enacted  for  that  purpose,  and  were  traversed  by  the 
chiefs  and  ecclesiastics  in  mrhads,  or  chariots ;  a  main  road  was 
called  a  slirfhe  {sleigh),  because  it  was  made  for  the  free  passage 
of  two  chariots—"  i.  e.  the  chariot  of  a  King  and  the  chariot  of 
a  Bishop."    Persona  of  that  raak  were  driven  by  an  ara,  or 


POPULAR    niSTORr    OF    IRELAND. 


149 


charioteer,  and,  no  doubt,  made  a  very  Imposing  flgijre  Th« 
roads  were  legally  to  be  repaired  ut  three  seasons,  namely  for 
the  accommodation  of  those  goinjr  to  the  national  game.,  at  fal^ 
tm.e,  ar.d  in  time  of  war.  Weeds  an.l  brushwood  were  to  be 
retnove<l,  and  water  to  be  drained  off;  items  of  road-work  which 
do  not  give  us  a  very  high  idea  of  the  comfort  or  finish  of  those 
«ncient  highways. 

Such,  faintly  seen  from  afar,  and  roughly  sketched,  wa«  do- 
mestio  life  and  society  among  our  ancestors,  previous  to  the 
Anglo-Norman  invasion,  in  the  reign  of  King  Roderick  O'Conor. 


■  •♦>■ 


CHAPTER    VI. 

FOBBION    RELATIONS    OP    TUB   IRISH    PRBVIoaS   TO  THB   AKOLO. 

NORMAN   INVASION. 

The  relations  of  the  Irish  with  other  nations,  notwithstandins 
the  nyurious  effects  of  their  War  of  Succession  on  national 
mnty  and  reputation,  present  several  points  of  interest.     After 
the  defeat  of  Ma^nu,  Barefoot,  we  may  drop  the  Baltic  coun- 
tnesoutof  the  map  of  the  relations  of   Ireland.    Commencing, 
therefore,  at  the  north  of  the  neighboring  island-which,  in  ite 
entu-ety,  they  sometimes  called  Inismore-ih^  most  intimate  and 
friendly  mtercourse  was  always  upheld  with  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland.     Bound  together  by  early  ecclesiastical  and  bardic 
ties,  confronting  togetiier  for  so  many  generations  a  common 
enemy,  those  two  countries  were  destined  never  to  know  an  in- 
ternational  quarrel.    About  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century 
Ik.     f  !k'    J""  ^^'  Scoto-Irish  in  Caledonia  had  completely 
subdued  the   Picts  and  other  ancient  tribes,  the  first  natio    d 
dynasty  was  founded  by  Kenneth  McAlpine.    The  constitution 
given  by  this  Prince  to  the  whole  country  seems  to  have  been 
a  close  copy  of  the  Irish-it  embraced  the  laws  of  Tanistry  .nd 
succession,  and  the  whole  Brelion  code,  as  adminfetered  in  the 

Z^u  T'  J''  "'"  ^  ^"^"^"^  "^^^  ^^  -'d  ^  «Io««  with 
Donald  Bane,  brother  of  Malcolm  III.,  who  died  in  1094.  and  aoi 


li":     I!  I 


150 


"1  i 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


only  h,g  dynasty  but   his   system  ended  with  that  century. 
E'lgar,  Alexander  I.,  and  David  I.,  all  sons  of  Malcolm  III.,  wera 
educated  in  England  among  the  victorious  Normans,  and  in  the 
first  third  oi  the  twelfth  century,  devoted  themselves  with  the 
inauspicious  aid  of  Nonnan  allies,  to  the  introduction  of  Saxon 
settlers  and  the  feudal  system,  first  into  the  lowlands,  and  sub- 
sequently  into  Moray-shire.     This  innovation  on  their  ancient 
system.and  confiscation  of  their  lands, was  stoutiv  resisted  by 
the  Scottish  Gael.    In  Somerled,  lord  of  the  isles,'and  ancestor 
of  the  Macdonalds,  they  found  a  powerful  leader,  and  Somerled 
found  Irish  alhes  always  ready  to  assist  him,  in  a  cause  which 
ap;.ealed  to  all  their  national  prejudices.     In  the  year  1134  he 
ed  a  strong  force  of  Irish  and  Islesmen  to  the  assistance'  of 
the  Gaelic  insurgents,  but  was  defeated  and  slain,  rear  Kenfrew 
by  the  royal  troops,  under  the  command  of  the  Steward  of  &cot' 
land.     During  thereignsof  William  the  Lion,  Alexander  II.,  and 
A.exander  II.,  the  war  of  systems  raged  with  all  its  fierceness 
and  m  nearly  all  the  great  encounters  Irish  auxiliaries,  as  was 
to  be  expected,  were  found  on  the  side  of  the  Gaelic  race  and 
Gaelic  rights     Nor  did  this  contest  ever  wholly  cease  in  Scot- 
and  until  the  last  hopes  of  the  Stuart  line  were  extinguished  on 
he  fatal  field  of  Culioden,  where  Irish  captains  formed  the  battle, 

blood  nfpTM     .''"''  ""'^^'  '^''^'^'^Sled  with  the  kindred 
blood  of  Highlanders  and  Islesmen. 

The  adoption  of  Norman  usages,  laws,  and  tactics,  by  the 
Scottish  dynasties  of  the  twelfth  and  succeeding  centuries  did 
not  permanently  aff"ect  the  national  relations  of  Ireland  and  Scot- 
land.    It  was  otherwise  with  regard   to  England.     We   have 
every  reason  to  believe-we  have  the  indirect  testimony  of  every 
wiiterfi-om  Bede  to  Malmsbury-that  the  intercourse  between 
he  Irish  and  Saxons,  after  the  first  hostility  engendered  by 
the  cruel   treatment  of  the  Britons  had  worn  away,  became 
of  the  most  friendly  character.     The  "  Irish"  who  fought  at 

allies  of  the  Northmen,  the  Dano-Irish  of  Dublin  and  the  south-- 
ern  seaports.  The  commerce  of  intelligence  between  the  islands 
was  long  maintained;  the  royalty  of  Saxon  England  had  mor^ 
iban  once,  m  tuae.  of  don...tic  revolution,  found  a  safe  and  de- 


Popular  history  op  Ireland.  151 

n\Ted  retreat  in  the  western  Island.    The  fair  Elgiva  and  the 
gallant  HaroM  had  crossed  tlie  western   waves  in  their  liour  of 
need.    The  fame  of  Edward  the  Confessor  took  such  deep  hold 
on  the  Iri^h  mind  that,  three  centuries  after  his  death,  his  ban- 
ner  was  unfurled  and  the  royal  leopards  laid  aside  to  facilitate 
the  march  of  an  English  King,  through  the  fastnesses  of  Leinster. 
The  Irish,  therefore,  were  not  likely  to  look  upon  the  establish- 
ment  of  a  NormaP  dynasty,  in  lieu  of  the  old  Saxon  line  as  a 
matter  of  indifference.    They  felt  that  the  Norman  was  but  a 
Dane  disguised  in  armor,    it  was  true  he  carried  the  cross  upon 
his  banner,  and  claimed  the  benediction  of  the  successor  of  St 
Peter;  true  also  he  spoke  the  speech  of  Prance,  and  claimed  a 
French  paternity;  but  the  lust  for  dominion,  the  iron  self-will 
the  wily  dedces  of  strategy,  bespoke  the  Norman  of  the  twelfth' 
the  lineal  descendant  of  the  Dane  of  the  tenth  century     When' 
therefore,  tidings  roache '  Ireland  of  the  battle  of  Hastincrg  and 
the  death  of  Harold,  both  the  apprehensions  and  the  symplithies 
of  the  country  were  deeply  excited.    Intelligence  of  the  corona- 
tion of  Will, am  the  Conqueror  quickly  follo^ved,  and  emphatic- 
ally announced  to  the  Irish  the  presence  of  new  neighbors,  new 
dangers,  and  new  duties. 

The  spirit  with  which  our  ancestors  acted  towards  the  de- 
feated Saxons,  whatever  we  may  think  of  its  wisdom,  was  at 
least,  respectable  for  decision  and  boldness.    Godwin,  Edmund 
and  Magnus,  sonn  of  Harold,  had  little  ditficulty  in  raisin-  in 
Ireland  a  numerous  force  to  co-operate  with  the  Earis  Edwin^and 
Morcar,  who  still  upheld  the  Saxon  banner.     With  this  force 
wafted  over  in  sixty-six  vessels,  they  entered  the  Avon  and  be' 
sieged  Bristol,  then  the  second  commercial  city  of  the  kin-^dom 
But  Bristol  held  out,  and  the  Saxon  Earis  had  fallen  back  into 
Northumb.riand,  so  the  sons  of  Harol.  ran  down  the  coast,  and 
tried  their  luck  in  Somersetshire  with  a  better  prospect.     Devon- 
sh,i-e  and  Dorsetshire  favored  their  cause;  the  old  Britons  of 
Cornwall  swelled  their  ranks,  and  the  rising  spread  like  flame 
over  the  west.    Eadnoth,  a  renegade  Saxon,  formeriy  Harold's 
Master  of  Horse,  despatched  by  William  again.t  Harold's  sons 
was  defeated  and  slain.    Doubling  the  Land's  End,  the  victorious 
force  entered  tlxe  Tamar,  and  overran  South  Devon.    The  united 


152 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


I 


gammons  of  London,  Winchester,  and   Saliabury,  were   ,eni 
.ga„«  then,,  ,mder  the  command  of  the  martial  IZZ  Co" 
^nces;  whUe  a  second  force  advanced  alon.  the  Tararlnde 

wiw  r;f "°      ■  ?'"■  ""*  '"■*•    ■""  ^"-^  »f  Harold 
retreated  to  their  vessels  with  all  their  booty  and  returned 

a«am  mto  Ireland,  where  they  vanish  from  histo,^     aSZ^ 

^ale  of  Tamar,  was  the  first  collision  of  the  Irish  and  No^an^ 

and  as  the  race  of  Eolla  never  forgot  an  enemy,  nor  foZZTl 

of  Ireland  was  deciaed  upon.    Meredith  Hanmer  relates  inZ 
Chromcle  that  William  B„f„s,  standing  on  a  hiStck  and 
lookmg  towards  Ireland,  said :  "I  willbring  hitLVr  my  s'htas 
2*  pass  over  and  conquer  that  land,-  and  on  these  words      t'he 

ephed .     Hath  the  Kmg  m  his  great  threatening  said  if  it  vlm^ 

aT^h''  ii:r" ""'"""  """•"  "*»•••  -M'heifis  1: 

.n  oid.''  '  '""°  "^  ''""°"'  ""  '■•™'  "'■»"'  »1  not 

Ireland,  however,  was  destined  to  be  reached  through  Wales 
along  whose  mountain  coast  we  earlv  (1„H  v  '"™"''',"'"^'' 
Norman  shir,,     t,  „      .u  ^    ™  Norman  castles  and 

ao  man  sh.ps     It  was  the  special  ambition  of  William  Buf„s  to 
add  the  prmcipality  to  tlie  conquests  of  hi,  fa(l,„  ,'""'". '" 

South  Wales  hastened  antvastn    ^wS  R:brFi^T  ""' 
DOW  and  Fitz-Stephen  m  the  invasion  of  Ireland. 

theX7;fi:r"Z''^^  '"'"  *'^'"'  ''^  P-^-^-^  through 
tne  leign  of  Rufus,  who  led  an  army  in  person  (A  n  mnll 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


15S 


for  Cardigan,  and  Gilbert  de  Clare  for  Pembroke:  the  best  por- 
tions of  North  Wales  were  partitioned  between  the  k'ortimers, 
Latimers,   De  Lacys,   Fitz-Alans,    and   Montgomerys.      Rhys,* 
Prince  of  Cambria,  with  many  of  his  nobles,  fell  in  battle  defend- 
ing bravely   his  native  hills;  but  Griffith,  son  of  Rhys,  escaped 
into  Ireland,  from  which  he  returned  some  twenty  years  later, 
and  recovered  by  arms  and  policy  a  large  share  of  his  ancestral 
dominions.    In  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  (A.  D.  1110),  a  host  of 
Flemings,  driven  from  their  own  country  by  an  inundation  of  the 
sea,  were  planted  upon  the  Welsh  marches,  from  which  they 
soon  swarmed  into  all  the  Cambrian  glens  and  glades.    The  in- 
dustry and  economy  of  this  new  people,  in  peaceful  times, 
seemed  almost  inconsistent  with  their  stubborn  bravery  in  bat- 
tle ;  but  they  demonstrated  to  the  Welsh,  and  afterwards  to  the 
Irish,  that  they  could  handle  the  halbert  as  well  as  throw  the 
shuttle ;  that  men  of  trade  may  on  occasion  prove  themselves 
capable  men  of  war. 

The  Norman  Kings  of  England  were  not  insensible  to  the  fact 
that  the  Cymric  element  in  Wale.^,  the  Saxon  element  in  Eng- 
land, and  the  Gaelic  element  in  Scotland,  were  all  more  agreea- 
ble to  the  Irish  than  the  race  of  Rollo  and  William.    They  were 
not  ignorant  that  Ireland  was  a  refuge  for  their  victims  and 
a  recruiting  ground  for  their  enemies.     They  knew,  furthermore, 
that  most  of  the  strong  points  on  the  Irish  coast,  from  the  Shan- 
non to  the  Liffey,  were  possessed  by  Christian  Northmen  kindred 
to  themselves.     They  knew  that  the  land  was  divided  within 
itself,  weakened  by  a  long  war  of  siiccession ;   groaning  un- 
der the  ambition  of  five  competitors  for  the  sovereignty ;  and 
B'lffering  in  reputation  abroad  under  the  invectives  of  Saint  Ber- 
nard and  the  displeasure  of  Rome.    More  tempting  materials  for 
intrigue,  or  fairer  opportunities    of   aggrandizement,  nowhere 
presented  themselves,  and  it  was  less  want  of  will  thar.  of  leisure 
from  otiier  and  nearer  contests,  which  deferred  this  new  inva- 
sion for  a  century  after  the  battle  of  Hastings. 

While  tnat  century  was  passing  over  their  heads,  an  occasional 
intercourse,  not  without  its  pleasing  incidents,  was  maintained 
between  the  races.  In  the  first  year  of  the  twelfth,  Anmli)h  de 
Montgomery,  Earl  of  Che,^ter,  obtained  a  daughter  of  Murke/. 


154 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


each  OBrien  m  marriage;  the  proxy  on  the  occasion  bemg 
Gerald,  son  of  the  Constable  of  Windsor,  and  ancestor  of  th" 
Oeraldines.  Murkertach,  according  to  Malmsburj,  maintained 
a  close  correspondence  with  Henry  I.,  for  whose  advice  he  pro- 
fessed  great  deference.  He  was  accused  of  aiding  the  Febellion 
of  the  Montgomerys  against  that  Prince ;  and  if  at  one  time  he 
d^d JO,  .eems  to  have  abandoned  their  alliance,  when  threatened 

Enlrr''!'  '"  '^'  ^"'^  '""-^^'^  ^"  P^^^^^-^^  «««^™«rce  with 
±.ngland.    The  argument  used  on  this  occasion  seems  to  be  em- 

Miar'"'w!  r^^"T/'  ^^'"^^bury-and  has  since  become 
^^iri-  ^'TJ'''^^  I^«l^"d  do,"  says  the  old  historian,  "  if  the 
merchandize  of  England  were  not  carried  to  her  shores  V' 

The  estimation  in  which  the  Irish  Princes  were  held  in  the 

century  preceding  the  invasion,  at  the  Norman  Court,  may  be 

seen  :n  the  style  of  Lanfranc  and  Anselm,  when  addressin^-the 

former  Kmg  Thoriogh,  and  the  latter  King  Murkertach  O'Brien. 

The  first  generation  of  the  conquerors  had  passed  away  before 

tne  second  of  these  epistles  was  wrif  ton.    In  the  first  the  address 

w  T7.  ^^f ''""^''  ^  «'""«^'  and  the  unworthy  Bishop  of  the 

Ho  y  Church  of  Dover,  to  the  illustrious  Terdelvacus,  Kin.  of 

Ireland,  b  essing,"  &c.,  &c. ;  and  the  epistle  of.  Anselm  is^ad- 

Kirof"T7'/'r":'"'"'  '^  ^'^  ^'^'^  ''  God,,  glorious 
Kmg  of  Ireland,  Anselm,  servant  of  the  Church  of  Canterbury 

greetmg  health,  and  salvation,''  &c.,  &c.     This  w.-^s  the  tone  of 
th3  highest  ecclesiastics  in  England  towards  the  rulers  of  Ireland 
in   he  rei,ns  Of  William  I.  and  Henry  I.,  and  equally  obsequious 
were  the  replies  of  the  Irish  Princes. 

After  the  death  of  Henry  I.,  nineteen  years  of  civil  war  and 
anarchy  diverted  the  Anglo-Normans  from  all  other  objects.  In 
the  year  1154,  however,  Henry  of  Anjou  succeeded  to  the  throne, 
on  which  he  was  destined  to  act  so  important  a  part.  He  was 
born  m  Anjou,  in  the  year  1133.  and  married  at  eighteen  the 
divorced  wife  of  the  King  of  Prance.  Uniung  her  vast  domi- 
Dions  to  his  own  patrimony,  he  became  the  lord  of  a  larger  part 
Of  France  than  was  possessed   by  the  titular  kin^r.    in   his 

thirty-fifth  he  received  the  fugitive  Dermid  of  Leinster,  in  some 
camp  or  castle  of  Aquitaine,  and  took,  that  outlaw  by  b^a 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


155 


own  act,  under  hh  protection.  The  centenary  of  the  victory 
ot  Hastings  had  just  gone  by,  and  it  needed  only  this  addi- 
tional agent  to  induce  liim  to  put  into  execution  a  olan  which  he 
must  have  fonnad  in  the  lirst  months  of  his  reign,  since  the 
Ball  he  had  procured  from  Pope  /.drian  bears  the  date  of 
t^mt  year-1154.  The  return  from  exile  and  martyrdom  of 
Beckett,  disarranged  and  delayed  the  projects  of  the  English 
Kmg;  nor  was  he  able  to  lead  an  expedition  into  Ireland  until 
four  years  after  his  reception  of  the  Leinster  fugitive  in  France. 

Throughout  the  rest  of  Cliristendom-if  we  except  Rome- 
tho  name  of  Ireland  was  comparatively  little  known.     The  com- 
me..ce  of  Dublin.  Limer.ck  and  Oalway.  especially  in  tin  article 
of  wine,  which  was  already  largely  imported,  may  have  made 
those  ports  and  tiieir  merchants  somr  vhat  known  on  the  coasts  of 
France  and  Si)ain.    But  we  have  no  statistics  of  Irish  coi    ner.e  at 
hat  early  perio  1.     Alo.g  the  Rhine,  and  even  upon  the  r.  ...ube 
the  Irish  missionary  and  the  Irish  schoolmaster  were  still  somel 
times  fou^d.     The  chronicle  of  Ratisbon  records  with  gratitude 
the  muniflcence  of  Conor  O'Brien.  King  of  Munster,  whom  it 
considers  the  founder  of  the  Abbey  of  St.  Peter  in  that  city 
The  records  of  the  same  Abbey  credit  its  liberal  founder  with 
having  sent  large  presents  to  the  Emperor  Lothaire,  in  aid  of  the 
second  crusade  for  the  recovery  of  the  Holy  Land.     Sorne  Irish 
adventurers  joined  in  the  general  European  hosting  to  theplaina 
of  Palestine,  but  though  neither  numerous  nor  distinguished 
enough  to  occupy  the  page  of  history,  their  glibs  and  ''coolu^.s 
did  not  escape  the  studious  eye  of  him  who  sang  Jerusale-a 
Deh  ^ered  and  Regained.  "^iusdica 


166 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP  IRBLAhO 


III 


i 


Ml 


'   h 


BOOK    IV. 

THE  NORMANS  IN  IRELAND. 
CHAPTER  I. 

.^BBMID   M'MITRROSH'S   NKGOTIATIOKS  AND   StrcCE88-T^»     ..o« 
BXPEOXTION   OP    THE   N0HMAN8   INTO   IRK.:;;!"         ^'' 

The  result  Of  Dermid  McMurro^h's  interviev.  ..th  Henry 
n  m  Aquitame,  was  a  royal  letter,  addressed  to  all  his  subieo  f. 
authorizing  such  of  them  as  would  to  enlisf  inTJ  ''''.'''^''f '^^' 
TnioK  T>  ■  .  ""uiu,  lo  emist  in  the  service  of  th« 

Irish  Pnnce.    Armed  alone  with  this    the  exn^ll«,i  ITn 

land      He  ™  at  this  time  so™  years  beyond  three  soo™ 

nis  atlTs  l:f-^^°  r °"" "°°'"'" -"'^ -p^'-- S; 

hlh    w!  1        ' .     ^  '"™°"  «'»'""'=■  "''  ™'»  loud  and 

^at..ehonhehoLrand  od^nlVir  rar^'j:;; 
h.s  memory  ,s  posthumous  and  retrospective.    Some  o    Is  c„ 
^mp„rar.e«were  no  better  in  their  private  lives  than  he  "a, 
but  then  they  had  no  part  in  bringing  ia  the  Normans.    Tall  .' 

r:;o'::.troX:;.^:x:;''-'-----^^ 

Dermid  proceeded  at  once   to  seek  the  heln  h«  «. 

the  court  ,f  the  Prmco  of  North  Wales.    At  Bristol  he  ca\,.ed 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND.  157 

King  Henry's  letter  to  be  publicly  read,  and  each  reading  was 
a  o,npan,ed  by  ample  promises  of  land  and  recompenle  to 
«.ose  disposed  to  join  ia  the  expedition-but  all  in  vain.     From 

1  p      .     ;  ^Z^'  ''^"  -^*"^"«  ^^  ^*J««.  ^"d  then  he  vi^ced 
he  Court  of  Griffith  ap  Rhys,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  whose 

Insh,  and  the  Welsn.     He  was  the  nephew  of  the  celebrated 
Nest  or  Nesta,  the  Helen  of  the  Welsh,  whose  blood  flowed  in 
the  veins  of  almost  all  the  first  Norman  adventurers  in  Ireland 
and  whose  story  is  too  intimately  interwoved  with  the  ori<.in  of 
many  of  the  highest  names  of  the  Norman-Irish  to  be  left  u^'ntold 
She  was,  in  her  day,  the  loveliest  woman  of  Cambria,  and  per  * 
haps  of  Britain,  but  the  fabled  mantel  of  Tregau,  which,  accord- 
ing to  her  own  mythology,  will  fit  none  but  the  chaste,  had' not 
rested  on  the  white  shoulders  of  Nesta,  the  daughter  of  Rhys  ap 
ludor.     Her  girlish  beauty  had  attracted  the  notice  of  Henry  I 
to  whom  she  bore   Robert   Fitz-Roy  and  Henry  Fitz-Henr;; 
the  former  the  famous  Earl  of  Gloucester,  and  the  latter  the  fa- 
ther of  two  of  Strongbow's  most  noted  companions.    Afterwards 
by  consent  of  her  royal  paramour,  she  married  Gerald,  consta-' 
ble  of  Pembroke,  by  whom  she  had  Maurice  Fitzgerald    the 
common  ancestor  of   the  Kildare  and    Desmond  Geraldines. 
While  hvmg  with  Gerald  at  Pembroke,  Owen,  son  of  Cadogan 

l!lTV^-Tl  ^''"""  ''  ""''  marvellous  beauty  at  a  banque 
J>ve^b5  h..  lather  at  t-e  Castle  of  Aberteivi,  came  by  niahi  to 
.^embroke,  surprised  the  Castle  and  carried  off"  Nesta  and  her 

aid  of  his  father-in-law,  Rhys,  recovered  his  wife  and  rebuilt 
his  castle  (A.  D  1105).    The  lady  survived  this  husband,  and 
married  a  second  time,  Stephen,  constable  of  Cardigan,  by  whom 
«he  had  Robert  Fitzstephen,  and  probably  other  children     One 
of  her  daughters,  Angharad,  married  David  de  Barri,  thefathe, 
of  Gira  dus  and  Robert  de  Barri ;  another,  named  .fter  herself 
married  Bernard  of  Newmarch,  and  became  the  father  of  the' 
Fitz-Bernard,  who  accompanied  Henry  II.    In  the  second  and 
third  generations  this  fruitful  Cambrian  vine,  grafted  on  the 
Norman  stock,  had  branched  out  inlo  the  great  families  of  the  Ca- 
14 


i5S 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


rews,  Oerarda,  Fitzwilliaras.  and  Pitzroys,  of  England  and  Wales. 
tn.I  tho  Qeraldines,  Graces,  Fltz-Henriea,  and  Fitz-Maurlcos  of 
Ireland.  These  names  will  show  how  entirely  the  expeditions 
ot  1169  and  1170  were  joint-stock  undertakings  with  most  of 
the  adventurers;  Cambria,  not  England,  sent  them  forth-  it 
was  a  family  compact ;  they  were  brothers  in  blood  as  well  as  in 
arms,  those  comely  and  unscrupulous  sons,  nephews,  and  grand- 
sons  of  Nesta ! 

When  the  Leinster  King  reached  the  residence  of  Griffith  ap 
fihys,  near  St.  David's,  he  found  that  for  some  personal  or  poli- 
tical  cause  he  held  in  prison  his  near  kinsman,  Robert,  son  of 
Stephen,  wh'       -  the  reputation  of  being  a  brave  and  capable 
knight     Der        obtained  the  release  of  Robert,  on  condition  of 
his  embarkmg  in  the  Irisli  enterprize,  and  he  found  in  him  an 
active  recruiting  agent,  alike  among  Welsh,  Flemings,  and  Nor- 
mans^  Through  him  Maurice  Fitzgerald,  the  de  Barris,  and 
F.tz-Henrys,  and  their  dependants,  were  soon  enlisted  in  tho 
adventure.    The  son  of  Griffith  ap   Rl,ys,  may  be   mentioned 
along  with  the  knig-hts,  his  kinsmen,  as  one  whom  the  Irish  an, 
nahsts  consider  the  most  important  person  of  the  first  expedition 
-their  pdiar  of  battle-also  resolved  to  accompany  them  with 
such  torces  as  he  could  enlist.  «•",  >^itn 

But  a  still  more  important  ally  waited  to  treat  with  Dermid 
on  hi.  return  to  Bristol.     This  was  Richard  de  Clare,  called  val 
nously  from  his  castles  or  his  county.  Earl  of  Btrigul  and  Cheo- 

::: ';:f '  i  "z"'^^'^-  ^^^-  ^^«  «^-^-^  ^f  his^rm'  h^ 

wa    mcknamad  Strongbow,  and  in  our  Annals  he  is  usually 
called  Earl  Richard,  by  which  title  we  prefer  hereafter  to  dii^ 

R.cha  d,  of  Normandy,  and  stood  n.  farther  removed  in  decree 
trom  that  Duke  than  the  reigning  Prince.  For  nearly  f^rtv 
years  under  Henry  I.  and  during  the  stormy  reigr  of  KiL  Ste^ 
phen.  he  had  been  Governor  of  Pembroke,  and  like  all  the^great 
Baons  played  his  game  chiefly  to  his  own  advantage.  His 
castle  at  Chepstow  was  one  of  the  strongest  in  the  west,  and  tho 
power  he  bequeathed  to  his  able  and  ambitious  son  excited  the 
apprehensions  of  the  astute  and  suspicious  Henry  II.  Fourteen 
years  of  this  King',  reign  had  passed  away,  and  Earl  Richtd 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRBIAND. 


I6d 

hv\  received  no  great  employments,  no  new  grants  of  l«n^ 
personal  favors  from  his  Sovereign     He  If  no  '  llT'  "' 
passed  middle  age.  condemned  to  a  ife  of  TacZ      T^'""' 
true  Norman  could  lona  endure      a         ^       T      """^  ^  "•* 

land  .ere  guaranteed  to  all  adventure"  of  .nitnf  ''T  ""' 
Earl  Richard  was  to  marry  the  kZZ\     ^^^^''^^  r^'  ""^ 
him  in  the  sovereignty  Of  ifeinster^"''  daughter  and  succeed 
Havmg  by  such  lavish  promises  enlisted  this  powm-ful  Far! 
and  those  adventurous  Knights,  Dermid  resolved  to  II  oveMn 
person  with  such  followers  as  were  already  equiooed T    7 
rally  the  remnant  of  his  adiierents     Ti^r    f' f^^^'  •"  ""'^^^  t« 
return  und.r  the  year  110/17/'  n  fl  ."^""''^  '''''''  ^'"'^ 

from  the  time  of  his  hZC    ?  '^'^^'^""^'^^-r  thereabouts 

back,  accomTanied  by  :  terl;   )'  ""'^  '"""^'  ""^  -™« 

Flemings,  an^  .ho  :l:jz: ^^,::^z  tiur" 

then  easily  to  be  met  with  in  Wales     Th«  w!   h V  ' 

tte  Austin  Priary  at  Fern/Z*  l!  .  ^  '  ""'"°'  »' 

;^ouo.tHo.  tHjwtt:Ct;^;:ctL^"r : 

and»avor  to  make  clear  in  a  few  word"  '       "^  "'^' 

Not  only  do  the;  bring  Dermid  over  »i.l,  .  n    .    .  „, 
Of  Whom  the  natives  made  '  slricolt  -  T  ,  /   """^' 
event  before  the  expiration  ofTyelr   " W    ';    'T'  ""' 
months  m„,t  have  e,ap,ed  between  r:.Z'ofl^ZZl 


m 


!     ;    i 


^     i 


i 


160 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


the  arrival  of  the  Normans.    By  allowing  two  -ears  instearl  .f 
one  o.  the  duration  of  his  banishment,  the^  appar^n^   Cty  a 

arnva,  ^ould  follow  upon  each  other  in  th.  spring  and  winter 
of  the  same  year.    The  difflculty,  however,  is  more  apparen 

Wekh  negotiations.    Another  year  seems  to  have  been  devoted 
with  equal  art  and  success  to  resuscitating  a  native  Leins^er 
party  favorable  to  his  restoration.    For  it  i .  evident  from  our  In 
nals  that  when  Dermid  showed  himself  to  the  peopeaf"  h^' 

Tnd  ";t  to'd    "f  T  ^'^™  '^^  Partrimony-Hy-Ki„se„agh- 
and  not  to  dispute  the  Kingdom  of  Lelnster  with  the  actual 

of  their  cavalry  and    Kernes  skirmished  with  the  troops  in  his 
semce  at  Kellistown.  in  Carlow,  when  six  were  killed  on  one 
side  and  twenty-flve  on  the  other,  including  the  Welsh  Prince 
already  mentioned;  afterwards  Dermid  emerged  from  his  fast! 
nesses  and  entering  the  camp  of  O'Conor,  gave  him  seven  host- 
ages    or  the  ten  cantreds  of  his  patrimony  ;  and  to  O'Ruarc  he 
gave      one  hundred  ounces  of  gold  for  his  «n.a.A"-_that  is  as 
damages  for  his  criminal  conversation  with  Devorrroil     During 
the  remainder  of  the  year  1168,  Dermid  was  left  to  enjoy  un! 
molested  the  moderate  territority  which  he  claimed,  while  Kin- 
Kodenck  was  engaged  in  enforcing  his  claims  on  the  North  and 
South,  founding  lectorships  at  Armagh,  and  partitionincr  Meath 
between  his  inseparable  colleague,  O'Ruarc,  and  hims°elf.    He 
celebrated,  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  multitude,  the  ancient  na- 
tional games  at  Tailtin,  he  held  an  assembly  at  Tara,  and  distri- 
buted  magnificent  gifts  to  his  suffragans.    Roderick  might  havt 
spent  the  festival  of  Christmas,  1168,  or  of  Easter,  1169  in  the 
full  assurance  that  his  power  was  firmly  established,  and' that  a 
Ion-  succession  of  peaceful  days  were  about  to  dawn  upon  Erin 
But  he  was  destined  to  be  soon  and  sadly  undeceived 

In  the  month  of  May,  a  little  fleet  of  Welsh  vessels, 'filled  with 
armed  men,  approached  the  Irish  shore,  and  Robert  Fitzstephen 
ran  mto  a  creek  of  the  bay  of  Bannow,  called  by  the  adventurers 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


101 


from  the  namos  of  twro  of  their  ships,  Bag-and-Bun.    Pitzstephon 
had  w,th  him  thirty  knlghti..  sixty  esquires,  and  throe  hundred 
footrue.L    The  next  day  he  was  joined  by  Maurice  de  Prender. 
gast,  a  Welsh  gentlenian,  with  ten  knights  and  sixty  archers 
A  ter  landing  they  reconnoitered  cautiously,  but  saw  neither 
ally  nor  enemy-the   immediate    coast    seemed  entirely  de- 
Berted.    Their  messenger  despatched  to  Dermid,  then  probably 
at  Ferns,  in  the  northern  extremity  of  the  county,  must  have 
been  absent  several  anxious  days,  when,  much  to  their  relief 
he  returned  with  Donald,  the  son  of  Dermid,  at  the  head  of  600 
horsemen.    Uniting  their  troops,  Donald  and  Fitzstephen  set  out 
for  Wexford,  about  a  day's  march  distant,  and  the  principal 
town  m  that  angle  of  the  island  which  points  towards  Wales. 
The  tradition  of  the  neighborhood  says  they  were  assailed  upon 
the  way  by  a  partv  of  the  native  population,  who  were  defeated 
and  dispersed.     Within  ten  days  or  a  fortnight  of  their  land- 
ing, they  were  drawn  up  within  sight  of  the  walls  of  Wex- 
ford, where  they  Nvere  joined  by  Dermid,  who  obviously  did  not 
come  unattended  to  such  a  meeting.    What  additional  force  he 
may  have  brought  up  is  nowhere  indicated ;   that  he  was  not 
without  followers  or  mercenaries,  we  know  from  the  mention  of 
the  Flemings  in  his  service,  and  the  action  of  Kollistown  in  the 
previous  year.     The  force  that  had  marched  from  Barinow  con- 
sisted, as  we  have  seen,  of  500  Irish  horse  under  his  son  Donald, 
surname!  Ka/oanagh ;  80  knights,  60  esquires,  and  300  men-at^ 
anus  under  Fitzstephen ;  10  knights  and  60  archers  under  Pren- 
dergast;  in  all,  nobles  or  servitors,  not  exceeding  1,000  men. 
The  town,  a  place  of  considerable  strength,  could  "muster  2,000 
men  capable  of  bearing  arms,  nor  is  it  discreditable  to  its  Dano- 
Irlsh  artizans   and  seamen  that  they  cculd  boast  no   captain 
equal  to  Fitzstephen   or    Donald   Kavanagh.      What  a  town 
multitude  could  do  they  did.      They   burned    down  an  ex- 
posed suburb,   closed  their    gates,  and   manned    their  walls. 
The  first  assault  was  repulsed  with  some  loss  on  the  part  of 
the  assailants,  and  the  night  passed  in  expectation  of  a  similar 
conflict  on  the  morrow.    In  the  early  morning  the  townsmen 
could  discern  thai  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  was  being 
offered  in  the  camp  of  their  besiegers  as  a  preparative  for  the 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


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Sdences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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103 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


dangers  of  the  day.    Within  the  walls,  however,  the  cleray 
exercised  all  their  influence  to  spare  the  effusion  of  blood  and 
to  bnncr  about  an  accommodation.    Two  Bishops  who  were  in 
the  town  especially  advised  a  surrender  on  honorable  terms 
ana  their  advice  was  taken.     Pour  of  the  principal  citizens  were 
deputed  to  Dermid,  and  Wexford  was  yielded  on  condition  of 
its  rights  and    privileges,  hitherto  existing,  being    respected. 
The  cantreds  immediately  adjoining  the  town  on  the  north  and 
east  were  conferred  on  Fitzstephen  according    to  the  treaty 
made  at  Bristol,  and  he  at  once  commenced  the  erection  of 
a  fortress  on  the  rock  of  Carrig,  at  the  narrowest  pass  on  the 
river   Slaney.     Strongbow's  uncle,  Herve,  was  endowed  with 
tiYo  other  cantreds,  to  the  south  of  the  town,  now  known  as  the 
baronies  of  Forth  and   Bargy.  where  the  descendants  of  the 
Welsh  and  Flemish  settlers  then  planted  are  still  to  be  found 
in  the  mdustrious  and  sturdy  population,  known  as  Flemings 
Furlongs,  Waddings,  Prendergasts,  Barrys,  and  Walshes.     Side 
by  side  with  them  now  dwell  in  peace  the  Kavanaghs,  Murphys, 
Conors,  and  Breens,  whose  ancestors  so  long  and  so  fiercely  dis- 
puted the  intrusion  of  these  strangers  amongst  them. 

With  soma  increase  of  force  derived  from  the  defenders  of 
Wexford,  Dermid,  at  the  head  of  3,000  men,  including  all  the 
Normans,  marched  into  the  adjoining  territory  of  Ossorv    to 
chastise  its  chief,  Donogh  Fitzpatrick,  one  of  his  old  enemies. 
Ihis  campaign  appears  to  have  consumed  the  greater  part  of  tba 
summer  of  the  year,  and  ended  with  the  submission  of  Oasory 
after  a  brave  but  unskilful  resistance.    The  tidings  of  what  w*i 
done  at  Wexford  and  in  Ossory  h^d,  however,  roused  the  appre- 
hension of  the  monarch  Roderir,k,  who  appointed  a  day  for  a 
national  muster  "  of  the  Irish"  at  the  Hill  of  Tara,     Thither 
repaired  accordingly  the  monarch  himself,  the  lords  of  Meaih 
Oriel,  Ulidia,  Bretf.ii,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  farther  north.    With 
this  host  they  proceeded  to  Dublin,  which  they  found  as  yet 
Jn  no  immediate  danger  of  attack;  and  whether  on  this  rretex* 
or  some  other,  the  Ulster  chiefs  returned  to  their  homes,  leavin^^ 
Roienck  to  pursue,  with  the  aid  of  Mea%  and  Breffni  only,  tha 
footsteps  of  McAfurrogh.     The  latter  had  faJlen   back   upon 
Ferns,  and  had,  under  the  skilful  directloos  of  FiiasLcphen 


I  t 


POPULAR    HISTOftY    OF   IRKLy^ND. 


163 


Btrensthened  the  naturally  difficult  approaches  to  that  ancient 
capital,  by  digging  artificial  pits,  by  felling  trees,  and  other  de- 
vices of  Norman  strategy.    The  season,  too,  must  have  been 
drawing  nearly  to  a  cbse,  and  the  same  amiable  desire  to  pre- 
vent the  shedding  of  Christian  blood,  which  characterized  all  the 
clergy  of  this  age,  again  subserved  the  unworthy  purposes  of 
the  traitor  and  invader.    Roderick,  after  a  vain  endeavor  to  de- 
tach Fitzstephen  from  Dermid  and  to  induce  him  to  quit  the 
country,  agreed  to  a  treaty  with  the  Leinster  King,  by  which 
the  latter  acknowledged  his  supremacy  as  monarch,  under  the 
ancient  conditions,  for  the  fulfilment  of  which  he  surrendered  to 
him  his  son  Conor  as  hostage.    By  a  secret  and  separate  agree- 
ment Dermid  hound  himself  to  admit  no  more  of  the  Normans 
Into  his  service— an  engagement  which  he  kept  as  he  did  all 
others,  whether  of  a  public  or  a  private  nature.    After  the  usual 
exchange  of  stipends  and  tributes,  Roderick  returned  to  his 
home  in  the  west;  and  thus,  with  the  treaty  of  Ferns,  ended  the 
comparatively  unimportant  but  significant  campaign  of  the  vear 
1169.  ' 


CHAPTLR  II. 

fHB   ARMS,   ARMOE  AND   TACTICS   OP    THE   NORMANS  AND   IRISH. 

This  would  seem  to  be  the  proper  place  to  point  out  the  pecu- 
Larities  in  arms,  equipment,  and  tactics,  which  gave  the  first  Nor- 
mans those  military  advantages  over  the  Irish  and  Dan/i-Irish 
which  they  had  hitherto  raainiained  over  the  Saxons,  Welsh  and 
Scots.  In  instituting  such  a  comparison,  we  do  not  intend  to 
confine  it  strictly  to  the  age  of  Strongbow  and  Dermid;  the 
description  will  extend  to  the  entire  period  from  the  arrival  of 
Fitzstephen  to  the  death  of  Richard,  Earl  of  Ulster— from  1169 
to  1333— a  period  of  five  or  six  generations,  which  we  propose 
to  treat  of  in  tlie  present  book.  After  this  Earl's  decease,  the 
Normans  and  Irish  approximated  moie  closely  in  all  their  cus- 
toms, and  no  longer  presented  those  marked  contrasts  which 


164 


POPULAU    niSTORT   OP   IRELAND. 


n 


existed  ,n  the.r  eari.er  intercourae  and  conflicts  with  each  other 
The  armor  of  the  first  adventurers,  both  for  man  and  hlr! 
exdted  the  wonder,  the  sarcasms,  and  the  fear  onhe  I  ish  T' 
such  equipments  had  yet  been  seen  in  that  coun  rtno  tdef; 
m  any  other,  where  the  Normans  were  still  strana;rs      ZTu 

looTdr'Tr'  '^  '^^^^'^^^'  '^  '^-  met,  :;„/,:; 

ike  HthT'  fVT  '"""'"^  '"^^  "^'^  «-h  -d  blood,  than 
like  lithe  and  hmber  human  combatants     The  man  «/ 

Whether  Knight  or  Squire,  was  almost  invtiabl/.rn;  ^^^^^^^^^ 

r^r^rTrb^;^''  ^'^'^ '-  -^'^  ^  hackney.tv;: 

BteTrlJ  ^  *'*'"^'  "^^  ^  ^*"^«^^  «f  netted  iron  or 

-as  worn  a  „.iUed  garab^on  of  »,.t  or  ootto„"„" 
knees,  over  a^or,  except  when  actually  engaJauVentf 
family  wore  costly  coats  of  satin,  velvet,  cloth  of  "gold  o  cToth  of 
silver,  emblazoned  with  their  arms.    The  shield  of  ^k!,k 
teenth  century  were  of  tri-a„g„,ar  form,  point  at  tte  bot^f 
toe  he|„u,tc„„,„al,  With  or  without  bars;  the  beaver  vizot^' 
plate  armor,  were  inventions  of  a  later  day.    Earls  ilte  ^d 
Prmces,  wore  small  crowns  upon  their  helmets     l„ver^«» 
the  favors  of  their  mistresses,  and  victors  the  orLt,  of  .h? 
pions  tUev  had  over(hro«-n     1.1.       j.  '  °"""'- 

Laliers  werswd  Tance  an^  I'^ri'T'""  "'  '"'''' 
i.^Kn.  '  '  ^"^  knife;  the  demi-launce    nr 

oommo^lrr:  ''"""'^  ''™'^'  '"'  ^  '»-  »'  '"seta 
common  m  the  Irish  wars,  was  composed  of  mounted  cross  hTv 

K„r  *     I.         "="«ae8-     ^"e  scorpion  was  a  huge  cross-bow  fhA 
varieties  of  stone-throwing  maX^'ry  T^'inZZ-'tZ 

towers  of  «ii  •.•,«c  »  ^    /    '*  pounaer.    There  we-e  moveable 
towers  of  all  sizes  and  of  many  names :  "  the  sow"  was  a  variety 


"MXSA-i^aimiaSi^iiSC 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


165 


winch  continued  in  use  in  England  and  Ireland  till  the  middle  of 
the  seventeenth  century.    The  divisions  of  the  cavalry  were-  first 
the   Constable's  command,   some  twenty-five   men;  next,   the 
Bar^neret  was  entitled  to  unfurl  his  own  colors  with  consent  of 
the  Marshal,  and  might  unite  under  his  pennon  one  or  more  con- 
stabularies ;  the  Knight  led  into  the  field  all  his  retainers  who 
held  of  him  by  feudal  tenure,  and  sometimes  the  retainers  of  his 
squires,  wards    or  valets,  and  kinsmen.    The  laws  of  chivalry 
were  fast  shaping  themselves  inuo  a  code  complete  and  coherent 
m  all  Its  parts,  when  these  iron-clad,  inventive  and  invincible 
masters  of  the  art  of  war  first  entered  on  the  invasion  of  Ireland 
The  body  of  their  followers  in  this  enterprize,  consisting  of 
Flemish.  Welsh,  and  Cornish  archers,  may  be  best  described  by 
the  arms  they  carried.    The  irresistible  cross-bow  was  their  main 
reliance.    Its  shot  was  so  deadly  that  the  Lateran  Council  in 
1139,  strictly  forbade  its  employment  among  Christian    enemies. 
It  combined  with  its  stock,  or  bed,  wheel,  and  trigger,  almost  all 
the  force  of  the  modern  musket,  and  discharged  square  pieces 
of  iron,  leaden  balls,  or,  in  scarcity  of  ammunition,  flint  stones. 
The  common  cross-bow  would  kill,  point  blank,  at  forty  or  fifty 
yards  distance,  and  the  best  improved,  at  fully  one  hundred 
yards.    The  manufacture  of  these  weapons  must  have  been  pro- 
Stable,  since  their  cost  was  equal,  in  the  relative  value  of  money, 
to  that  of  the  rifle,  in  our  times.    In  the  reign  of  Edward  II' 
each  cross-bow,  purchased  for  the  garrison  of  Sherborne  Castle* 
cost  3j.  and  8d.;  and  every  hundred  of  quarreh—thQ  ammuni^ 
tion  just  mentioned-ls.  and  6d.    Iron,  steel,  and  wood,  were  the 
materials  used  in  the  manufacture  of  this  weapon. 

The  long-bow  had  been  introduced  into  England  by  the  Nor- 
mans,  who  arc  said  to  have  been  more  indebted  to  that  arm  than 
any  other,  for  their  victory  at  Hastings.  To  encourage  the  use 
of  the  long-bow  many  statutes  were  passed,  and  so  late  as  the 
time  of  the  Stuarts,  royal  commissions  were  issued  for  the  pro- 
motion of  this  national  exercise.  Under  the  early  statutes  no 
archer  was  permitted  to  practise  at  any  standing  mark  at  less 
than  "eleven  score  yards  distant;"  no  archer  under  twenty-four 
years  of  age  was  allowed  to  shoot  twice  from  the  same  stand, 
point;  parents  and  masters  were  subject  to  a  fine  of  6s.  and  8d.  if 


'i    ! 


rOC 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRKLAND. 


!    '' 


they  ariuwel  their  youth,  under  the  a^e  of  seventeen.  "  to  be  with, 
out  a  bow  and  two  arrows  for  one  month  together ;"  the  walled 
towns  were  required  to  set  up  their  butts,  to  keep  them  in  re- 
pair, and  to  turn  out  for  target-practice  on  holidays  and  at  other 
convenient  times.     Aliens  residing  in  England  were  forbidden 
the  use  of  this  weapon— a  jealous  precaution,  showing  the  great 
importance  attached  to  its  possession.     The  usual  length  of  the 
bow— which  was  made  of  yew,  witch-hazel,  ash,  or  elm— was 
about  six  feet;  and  the  arrow,  about  half  that  length.    Arrows 
^ei-e  made  of  ash,  feathered  with  part  of  a  goose's  wing,  and 
barbed  with  iron  or  steel.    In  the  reign  of  EJward  III.,  a  painted 
bow  cost  Is.  and  6d.,  a  white  bow,  Is. ;   a  sheaf  of  steel-tipped 
arrows  (21  to  the  sheaf).  Is.  and  2d.,  and  a  sheaf  ot  non  accerata 
(the  blunt  sort).  Is.    Tlie  mnge  of  the  long-bow,  at  its  highest 
perfection,  was,  as  we  have  seen,  "eleven  score  yards,"  more 
than  double  that  of  the  ordinary  cross-bow.  The  common  sort  of 
both  these  weapons  carried  about  the  same  distance— nearly 
100  yards.  ' 

The  natural  genius  of  the  Normans  for  war  had  been  sharp- 
euel  ani  perfected  by  their  campaigns  in  France  and  England, 
but  more  especially  in  the  first  and  second  Crusades.     AH  that 
was  to  be  learned  of  military  science  in  other  countries— all  that 
Italian  skill,  Greek  subtlety,  or  Saracan  invention,  could  teach, 
they  knew  and  combined  into  one  system.    Their  feudal  disci- 
phne  moreover,  in  which  the  youth  who  entered  the  service  of  a 
veteran  as  page,  rose  in  time  to  the  rank  of  esquire  and  bache- 
lor-at-anus,  and  finally  won  his  spurs  on  some  well-contested 
fieM,  was  eminently  fa      able  to  the  training  and  proficiency  of 
military  talents.    Not  less  remarkable  was  the  skill  they  dis- 
played in  seizing  on  the  strong  and  commanding  points  of  com- 
munication, within  the  country,  as  we  see  at  this  day,  from  the 
sites  of  their  old  Castles,  many  of  which  must  have  been,  before 
the  mvention  of  gunpowder,  all  but  impregnable. 

The  art  of  war,  if  art  it  could  in  their  case  be  called,  was  in  a 
much  less  forward  stage  among  the  Irish  in  the  twelfth  and  thi.-- 
tsenth  centuries  than  amongst  the  Normans.  Of  the  science  of 
:ortification  they  perhaps  knew  no  more  than  they  had  learned 
m  the,r  long  struggle  with  the  Danes  and  Nuwegians.    To  rendei 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


167 


roads  impassible,  to  streagtlion  tlioir  islanth  by  stockados,  ta 
liold  the  naturally  difflciilt  passes  which  connect  one  province  or 
one  district  with  another — the^o  soem  to  have  been  tlieir  cliief 
ideas  of  the  aid  that  valor  may  derive  from  artiflcial  appliances. 
Tlie  fortresses  of  which  wo  hear  so  frequently,  durin?  and  after 
jlie  Danish  period,  and  which  are  erroneously  called  D,i,mes'- 
forts,  were  more  numerous  than  formidable  to  such  enemies  aa 
the  Normans.     Some  of  these  earth-and-stono-worics  are  older 
than  the  Milesian  invasion,  and  of  Cyclopean  style  and  strength. 
Those  of  the  Milesians  are  generally  of  larsfer  size,  contain  much 
more  earth,  and  the  internal  chambers  are  of  less  massive  masonry 
Tliey  are  almost  invariably  of  circular  form,  and  the  largest 
remaininnr  spacimons  are  the  Giant's  Rin:?  near  Belfast,  tlieTort 
at  Netterville,  which  measures  300  paces  in  circumference  round 
•    the  top  of  the  embankment;   the  Black  Rath,  on  the  Boyne, 
wliich  measures  321  paces  round  the  outer  wall  of  circu'uvalla- 
tion ;  and  tlie  King's  Rath  at  Tara,  upwards  of  280  in  lengtli. 
The  height  of  the  outer  embankment  in  forts  of  this  size  varied 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet ;  this  embankment  was  usually  sur- 
rounded by  a  f«3se ;  within  the  embankment  tliere  was  a  plat- 
form, depressed  so  as  to  leave  a  circular  parapet  above  its  level. 
Many  of  those  military  raths  have  been  found  to  contain  subter- 
ranean chambers  and  circular  winding  passages,  supposed  to  be 
used  as  granaries  and  armories.    They  are  accounted  capable  of 
■containing  garrisons  of  from  200  to  500  men;  but  many  of  tlio 
fortresses  mentioned  from  age  to  age  in  oar  annals  were  mere 
private  residences,  enclosing  withiu  their  outer  an  I  inner  w?*ll3 
space  enough  for  the  immediate  retainers  and  domestics  of  the 
chief.    Although  coats  of  mail  are  mentioned  in  manuscripts 
long  anterior  to  the  Norman  invasion,  t!ie  Irish  soldiers  seem 
seldom  or  never  to  have   been   completely  clothed  in  armor. 
Like  the  northern  Berserkers,  they  prided  tliemselves  in  flgl-it- 
ing,    if  not   naked,   in  tlieir  orange  colored  shirts,  dyed  with 
saffron.    The  helmet  and  the  shield  were  the  only  defensive 
articles  of  dress ;  nor  do  theiy  seem  to  have  had  trappings  for 
their  liaises.     Tlieir  f,iv>);-;te  uVHsile  weapon  was  the  dart  or'jave- 
line,  and  in  eirlj.^-  a,^^  Lii'^   siinr.     Tiie  spear  or  lance,   the 
Bword,  an  I  tinj  slurp,  .siurt-liaiilied  b.itllo  axe.  were  their  favor- 


[| 


168 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


ll:J       I:  it' 


ai  lous,  airaUus  says  they  sometimes  lopperl  off  a  horseman'. 

J0„d  th,  torch  a„d  the  s^,.ZL,  Zy'ZZ'tZZZ 
kno»M  w,  and  to  have  desired  none.    The  Dano  r  Jl    ? 
were  aco:.storaed  to  fortify  and  defend    he,>  to™  „''  he  ZZ 
ral  ..nnoiples,  which  then  composed  the  sum  o?™;t  ™  Lit 
in  CLrijlendora  of  military  engineering     Q„iZ,l 

aimostovery  department  o^the%rt:2-nr:''zrrh':or„:d° 
t.ll  the  last,  obstinately  insensible  to  the  absolute  necess,W 

l«rnm.  how  modern  fortincations  are  constructed.  do~and 

f^e  tnbes,  who  followed  their  chiefs  on  terms  almost  of  eVullir 
and  who,  except  his  Immediate  retainers,  equipped  anrtor' 
ol  '°\"';r'™-  The  highest  unit  of'tirf  rcetia 
C^k  or  battahon  of  8,000  men,  but  the  subdivision  of  com 
m.„J  an  t  e  laws  which  established  and  maintatod  dU  ipZ" 
ha  e  yet  to  bereeoveredand  explained.  The  old  Spanish  "rlhl 
Of  msurrection"  seems  to  have  been  recognised  in Te^y  chie^f 
a  tree  tr,be,  and  no  Hidalgo  of  oH  gpain,  for  real  or  tnci^ 
shght,  was  ever  more  ready  to  turn  his  hole's  head  h^n^^wll 
than  were  those  refractory  lords,  with  whom  Roderick TcZo, 

r:::~c'^''^'"»"''«— battiertrr 


POrUJULB    UISTORr    OF   IRELAND. 


16d 


CHAPTER  III. 

VHB   FIRST   CAMPAION   OP     BARI.    RICHARD — 8IE0E    OF   DrBblK-* 
DEATH  of  KINO   DEBMIO    M'MDBBOaH. 

Toe  canapaigQ3  of  11G3  and  1163  had  en  lei  prosparously  for 
pjrmid  in  the  treaty  of  Perns.  By  that  treaty  he  had  bound 
himself  to  bring  no  naore  Normans  into  the  country,  an  I  to  send 
tlioHe  already  in  hia  service  back  to  their  hotnas.  But  iu  the  course 
of  the  sa'.n3  autumn  or  winter,  in  which  this  agrejinnit  was  sol- 
oranly  enterel  into,  he  welcomed  the  arrival  at  Wexford— of 
Mmrice  Fitza;Brald— .jon  of  th3  fair  Noita  by  her  first  husband 
— and  iian3diately  employed  this  fresh  force,  consisting  of  tea 
knights,  3  J  esqairej,  an  I  103  footmen,  up  )n  a  hosting  which 
harried  the  open  country  about  Dublin,  and  induced  the  alarmetj 
inliabitant  i  to  send  hostages  into  his  camp,  bearing  proffers  of 
allegianc3  a  id  amty.  As  yet  he  did  not  feel  in  force  sufficient 
to  attack  tlie  city,  for,  if  he  had  been,  fiis  long  cherished  ven- 
geance against  its  inhabitants  would  not  have  been  postponed 
till  another  season. 

In  the  meaatimi  he  had  written  mojt  urgent  letters  to  Earl 
Richard  to  hasten  his  arrival,  according-  to  the  terms  agreed 
upon  at  Bristol.  That  astute  and  ambitious  nobleman  had  been 
ai  impatiently  biding  his  time  as  Dermid  had  been  his  coming. 
Knowing  the  jealous  sovereign  under  whom  he  served,  he  had 
gon3  over  to  France  to  obtain  Henry's  sanction  to  the  Irish  en- 
terprize,  but  had  been  answered  by  the  monarch.,  in  oracular 
phrases,  which  might  mean  anything  or  nothing.  Determined, 
however,  to  interpret  these  doubtful  words  in  his  own  sense,  h* 
despatched  his  vanguard  early  in  the  spring  of  the  year  11 7o 
under  the  command  of  his  uncle  Herve  and  a  company  of  10 
knights  and  70  archers,  under  Raymond,  son  of  William,  lord  of 
Oarew,  elder  brother  of  Maurice  Fitzgerald,  and  giandson  o€ 
15 


170 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   TRBLAWD. 


Nesta.  In  the  becrinnins  of  May.  Raymond,  nicknamed  le  arc, 
or  the  Fut.  entered  Waterford  harbor,  and  landed  ei^ht  milei 
WW  *^^f>'';;"''^''  ^''«  '-"-k  of  Dun.lonolf.  on  the  east,  o, 
Wexford  HKle.  Il.re  they  rapidly  throw  up  a  camp  to  protect 
themselves  agamst  attack,  and  to  hold  the  Junding  place  for  the 
convemence  of  the  future  expedition.  A  tumultuous  body  of 
natives,  amounting,  according  to  the  Norman  account,  to  3  (KM) 
men,  were  soon  seen  swarming  across  the  Suir  to  attack 'tl.e 

Z""T^   jy  '^"'"   "^'"   "'    ''^--""^    '^"'^    Desies,   under 
their  chiefs.  O'Ryan  and  O'Pludan.  and  citizens  of  Waterford  who 

now  rushed  towards  the  little  fortress,  entirely  unprepared  for 
the  long  and  deadly  range  of  the  Welsh  and  Flemish  cross-bows. 
Thrown  into  confusion  by  the   unexpected  discharge,  in  which 
every  shot  from  behind  the  ramparts  of  turf  brought  down  its  nm,.. 
tney  wavered  and  broke;  Raymond  and  Hervy  then  sallied  out 
upon  the  lug.tivos  who  were  fain  to  escape,  as  many ,«  could,  to  the 
other  SKfe  of  the  river.  leaving  500  prisoners,  including  70  chief 
cfzens  of  Waterford  behir.d  them.  These  were  all  inhumanly  mas- 
sacred,  according  to  Qiraldus,  the  eulogist  of  all  the  Oeraldines. 
by  the  order  of  Hervy.  contrary  to  the  entreaties  of  Rayn.ond 
The.r  legs  were  first  violently  broken,  and  they  were  thor,  hurled 
down  the  rocks  into  the  tide.    Five  hundred  men  could  not 
well  be  so  captured  and  put  to  death  by  less  than  an  equal  num- 
ber of  hands,  and  we  may,  therefore,  safely  set  down  that  nu.n- 
bor  as  hoi  hng  the  camp  of  Dundonolf  during  the  summer  months 
ot  the  year. 

Earl  Richard  had  not  completed  his  arrangements  until  the 
month  of  August-80  that  his  uncle  and  lieutenant  had  to  hold 
the  post  they  had  seized  for  fully  three  months,  awaitina  his 
arnval  m  the  deepest  anxiety.  At  last,  leaving  his  casJe  in 
Pembroke,  he  marched  with  his  force  through  North  Wales  by 

IT  n  fr'"'  ''  ''"'^^'  Haven-"  and  still  as  he  went  he 
took  up  all  the  oest  chosen  and  picked  men  he  could  get."  At 
^I.lford,.,ust  as  he  was  about  to  embark,  he  received  an  onler 
fiom  Kmg  Henry  forbidding  the  expedition.  Wholly  disre-ranl. 
ing  th,s  m,ss.ve  he  hastened  on  board  with  200  knights'and 
1.200  infantry  in  h.s  company,  and  on  the  eve  of  St.  Bartholo, 
mew  6  Day  (August  23d),  landed  safely  under  the  earthwork  of 


POPULAR    III8T0RV    OP    IRELAND. 


171 


Dundonolf,  where  ho  was  Joyfully  rocoived  by  Raymond  nt  the 
head  of  40  kiiii^liLs,  and  a  corres()ondinij  niiinbor  of  nion-at- 
nrms.  The  next  day  the  whole  force,  under  the  Earl,  "  who  had 
all  tilings  in  readiness"  for  8uch  an  entor|)rize,  procee  leil  to  lay 
siege  to  VVaterfurd.  Malachy  O'Phelan,  the  brave  lord  of  Desies, 
forgetting  all  ancient  enmity  against  his  Danish  neighbors,  had 
joined  the  townsmen  to  ftssist  in  the  defence.  Twice  the  be- 
Bieged  beat  back  the  assailants,  until  Raymond  perceiving  at 
an  angle  of  ihe  wall  the  wooden  props  upon  which  a  house 
rested,  ordered  them  to  be  cut  nway,  on  which  the  house  fell 
to  the  ground,  and  a  breach  was  effected.  The  men-at-arms 
then  burst  in,  slaughtering  the  inhabitants  without  mercy.  In 
the  tower,  long  known  as  Reginald's,  or  the  ring  tower,  O'Piielan 
and  Reginald,  the  Dano-Irish  chief,  hold  out  until  the  arrival  of 
King  Dormid,  whose  intercession  procured  them  such  terms  as 
led  to  their  surrender.  Then,  amid  the  ruins  of  the  burning 
city,  and  the  muttered  malediction  of  its  surviving  inhabitants, 
tlie  ill-omened  marriage  of  Eva  McMurrogh  with  Richard  de 
Clare  was  gaily  celebrated,  and  the  compact  entered  into  at 
Bristol  three  years  before  was  perfected. 

The  marriage  revelry  was  hardly  over  when  tidings  came  from 
Dublin  that  Asculph  Mac  Torcall,  its  Danish  lord,  had,  either 
by  the  refusal  of  the  annual  tribute,  or  in  some  other  maimer, 
declared  his  independence  of  Derraid,  and  invoked  the  aid  of 
the  monarch  Roderick,  in  defence  of  that  city.  Other  mes- 
sengers brought  news  that  Roderick  had  assumed  the  protec- 
tion of  Dublin,  and  was  already  encamped  at  the  head  of  a  larcre 
army  at  Clondalkin,  with  a  view  of  intercepting  the  march  of 
the  invaders  'rom  the  south.  The  whole  Leinster  and  Norman 
force,  with  the  exception  of  a  troop  of  archers  left  to  garrison 
Waterfc  d,  were  now  put  in  motion  for  the  siege  of  the  chief 
city  of  the  Hibernicized  descondants  of  the  Northmen.  In- 
formed of  Roderick's  position  which  covered  Dublin  on  the 
south  and  west,  Derniid  and  Richard  followed  boldly  the  moun- 
tain paths  and  difficult  roads  which  led  by  the  secluded  city  of 
Glendalough,  and  thence  along  the  coast  road  from  Bray  towards 
the  mouth  of  the  Liffrfy,  until  they  arrived  unexpectedly  within 


i  ri 


■f  ) 

t    i 


\72 


!      Hi 


PoruiAB  HWTonr  of  irbland. 


'!;:,1™.'"  """"*"■  "■  '"»  »■— '  «nO  terror  of  .„ 

Bi»  choice  „f  „  uZJ  "'"  """I"""' of  tl,o  whole  cou„t,y. 

before  the  «ate,  „    D,„J  '""""""■'  "'"'^''  ''^  ""^^Ped 

"  th'.  chief  ,„a,.i  of  11,0  l,i,|,"  r,"  ,,  "       ',     •  ''    '"'  °" 

Richa.,  ..o,„,na,„,ea   th      l.tl^^"  ,"3!  7".''  "■  ""' 

IiiMh  »oi,li,,.ra."    Altorof r,  ?       :  ""''  •'"'  '""O 

a..  1  250  l(„i.,l,ti,     Erceo,   h  '',    '','^*''  "■"'  PI"""'!!  arche™, 

-..»„  .„  53f:„.ti: '  'c.:; :  t'r's,"^'  """'"^- 

archers  left  in  Wat«rfor,l  H.«  «nf      ^  ®''"'^^'  ^"'^  t''« 

t>>i«  ti.e,were  u.;::!;;     J^e^^^f- ''>  I-.ancUt 
many  wer.  eininei.t  for  couracrfi  Jnf "         ■  *"^"   ''"'"''t«' 

war.    The  .nost  ai.Z^:^::f ''''''  ''^"^ '»  '--  and 
raid,  the  co.„,nou  au:eTrorZTG^^^^^^^^ 
♦K    .       V.     •'^  """"  ''"®  '^at,  arjcestor  of  the  OrapnM  nf  n 
the  two  P.t.-H.nno.,  .randsons  of  Hen^y  I    an  1  f h!  f      ^  "'^  ' 
^Valt.r  d.  Rid  llosford.  first  Baron  o    B,nv  1  R  ,         "''^''''  ' 
Bon-u.lawand  standard-bearer  to^H  R^^haM     J,  ^  ^"'"^^• 
to  the  Earl.and  Gilbert  de  Clare  hiT  on    t  ^V  r^' "''^ 
fl.st  .ho  entered  Dublin  by  assau  t     nT  t;  flr  ^Nt^f"'  "" 
"or;  the  d.  Barries,  and  de  Prenderaa        ^h     ?     ,^"''''" 
Norman-Irish  houses  «.  th.   i    I^"  '^'='^'*-     Other  founders  of 

nu..o,  B.t,e!:sr,:;;  e^rif "°""''.'' '°  '■"-•  "• 

T..0  ww,..u..„  „,  Ouh,i„  had  every  reason,  fro™  their  ,<„„,. 


t"- 


I 


POPULAR    HIBTORT    OF    IRELAND. 


178 


lO'ls^e  of  Dennld's  cruol  character,  to  expoct  the  worst  at  hii 
handa  and  tliose  of  his  allioa.  Tlie  wariiiii<?  of  Wttterford  wa$ 
before  thorn,  but  bi^Hiden  thiH  they  had  a  Hpocial  cauno  of  appro* 
heiisioii,  Dermid's  father  havhig  been  nm»'derp<l  in  their  midst,  . 
and  liis  body  iynominiously  interred  witli  the  carcase  of  a  dog, 
Eodorick  having  failed  to  intercept  him,  the  citizens,  either  to 
gain  time  or  really  desiring  to  arrive  at  an  accommodation, 
entered  into  negotiations.  Their  ambassador  for  this  pur[)ose 
was  Lorcan,  or  Lawrence  O'Toole,  the  first  Archbishop  of  the 
city,  and  iu,  first  prelate  of  Milesian  origin.  This  illustrious  man, 
canonized  both  by  sanctity  and  patriotism,  was  tlien  in  the 
thirty-ninth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  ninth  of  his  episcopate. 
His  father  was  lord  of  Imayle  and  chief  of  his  clan ;  his  sister 
liad  been  wife  of  Derraid  and  mother  of  Eva,  the  prize-bride  of 
Earl  Richard.  He  hi*'  .self  had  been  a  hostage  with  Dermid  ia 
his  youth,  and  afterwards  Abbot  of  Glondalough,  the  most  cele- 
brated monastic  city  of  Leinstor.  He  stood,  therefore,  to  the 
basieged,  being  their  chief  pastor,  in  the  relation  of  a  father;  to 
Dermid,  and  strangely  enough  to  Strongbow  also,  as  brother-in- 
law  and  uncle  by  marriage.  A  fitter  ambassador  could  not  be 
luund. 

Maurice  Regan,  the  "  Latiner,"  or  Secretary  of  Dermid, 
had  advance!  to  the  walls,  and  summoned  the  city  to  surrendor, 
and  deliver  up  "  30  pledges"  to  his  master,  their  lawful  Prince. 
Asculph,  son  of  Torcall,  was  in  favor  of  the  surrender,  but  the 
citizens  could  not  agree  among  themselves  as  to  hostages.  No 
one  was  willing  to  trust  liimself  to  the  notoriously  untrustworthy 
Dermid.  The  Archbishop  was  then  sent  out  on  the  part  of  the 
citizens  to  arrange  the  terms  in  detail.  He  was  received  with 
all  reverence  in  the  camp,  but  while  he  was  deliberating  with 
the  commanders  without,  and  the  townsmen  were  anxiously 
awaiting  his  return,  Milo  de  Cogan  and  Raymond  the  Fat,  seiz- 
ing the  opportunity,  broke  into  the  city  at  the  head  of  their 
companies,  and  began  to  put  the  inhabitants  ruthlessly  to  the 
sword.  Tl»ey  were  soon  followed  by  the  whole  force  eager  for 
massacre  and  pillage.  The  Archbishop  hastened  back  to  endeavor 
to  stay  the-  liavoc  which  was  being  made  of  his  people.  He 
threw  himself  before  the  infuriated  Irish  and  Normans,  he  threat- 


174 


"OVVLAK   msTOBT    OF   mKLXm,. 


A'culpl,,  „ith  many  „f  j  A°™  '"^  "='«y-    "»  Banbh  chief, 
fl^.!  !«  M.a  Is.,  Of  4„  and  f^  rbridr"'"  *"  '"*  '"'O^- »« 

tims  outraarcWand  oSd tm  «Tf  "■"  """"^  ""o  had 
it  could  not  be  earlier  Z^Tt^C  k  f  '"'""'  "'  "■«  y™^- 
«  Clondalkin,  and  ^Z^t«r  I'^'^P  <>«  "ncampnient 

appointed  de  Cogan  mZZa^TTu-    f"  «'"""■"  *--»S 
of  'ho  retreating  Ard.Zl7,l  '"'  '°"'>"'«'  »■>  tto  rear 

"uming  and  phnJerln.fh'e    I.      i"'""'"™  "'  McMnrrogh, 
Slane,andcar;j,i„,  off  ih't.?''""''"'  "''  K""''.  Clonard  and 
Though  Dermid°seel?r  ^   =""  "'  East-Meath.' 

«on.  Of  the  trlt  oT;    :  ;:'T''V''"=°''''^^*-»- 
■■eached  Athlone  he  cancer  '°  ^'^''"'^-    «'l>en  he 

Of  Donald  JCa^an^^k^  the  ?  '","  ?f  '*°™'^'  '""  "»  »»„ 
"ad  been  gi.e,.  hi,«l'h:t  *;,;:, 1™"''  ^"»'»--  -">" 
»o  grossly  violated  in  every  naTti"  ■/'""'"'  °'  *»'  '«alr. 
indulged  in  in.p„te„t  vow7orver  '  '  "''"'"''"'•  I*'™^ 
"V-'i  of  these  e.e^:;"J;:S,'i: '•=-•■'«  Boderiok,  "■'™ 
'oked;  he  s-v„re  that  notwLs„rt'fr  ""•'""'''' ""^  <""■ 
naught  in  tne  following  sprin!  T,t  "°°''"'»"  "'  Con- 

io  sent  ".e  Ard-Righhl  doTa'c   to  tbl:    '^  '*  "'-"S^- -1 
«-'ents  of  military  consequenr  ™  VT   ^"'^'"^-    '^''•''  "'hw 
"70.     The  foreign  gaS?  f  W^Ll:  '  *"  "'  '"»  ^- 
cap  ured  by  Corn,ae  McCarthy,  Prta»  of  nj"  7"*^'  '""' 
If.  having  prohibited  all  interco„;rh  .     '^'^ond,  and  Henry 
;^Nobedient  subject.  Earl  E  chard    IT™  "'''  «'"^' ""<•  i"^ 
Kaymond  the  Pat,  with  the  mostb'    b     T  "'"  ''•'*'"«'>«1 
and  hi,  new  possessions  to  hrMatTvT  ■°"™''  "'  '"'■^''» 
Asculph,  son  of  Torcill,  recrlin "Cm      ?"""'■    ^"^  ">  '''* 
>^nce,  the  Archbishop    Sltri  '"""''■«''»■  !•->■• 
envious  Irish  lords  into  onTurjdl.r  """°  *"  ""•'""'  -■"> 
Parina  for  the  new  yearll '       '^  '"''"^'  ^-^  Roderick,  pre. 

came,  and  waned,  and  wen,        ""'*"■  """  "'°""-  of  "r(i-71, 
One  occurrence  of  tha 

Priately  be  dismissed  Jr::re7eXT'"'  """r"'  »""- 

"oath  of  tt«  wrolched  and  odioui 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


175 


McMurrogh.  This  event  happened,  according  to  OircUdus,  in  tha 
kalends  of  May.  The  Irish  Annals  surround  his  death-bed  with 
all  the  horrors  appropriate  to  such  a  scene.  He  became,  they 
Bay,  "  putrid  while  living,"  through  the  miracles  of  St.  Columbcille 
and  St,  Finian,  whose  churches  he  had  plundered  ;  "  and  he  died  - 
at  Fernamore,  without  making  a  will,  without  penance,  without 
the  body  of  Christ,  without  unction,  as  his  evil  deeds  deserved." 
We  have  no  desire  to  meditate  over  the  memory  of  such  a  man. 
He  far  more  than  his  predecessor,  whatever  that  predecessor's 
crimes  might  have  been,  deserved  to  have  been  buried  with  a  dog. 


•♦> 


CHAPTER  IV. 


gECOND   CAMPAIGN  OP   EARL    RICHARD — HENRY    II.   EN    IRELAND. 

The  campaign  of  the  year  1171  languished  from  a  variety  of 
causes.  At  the  very  outset,  the  invaders  lost  their  chief  patron, 
wiio  had  been  so  useful  to  them.  During  the  siege  of  Dublin,  in 
tha  previous  autumn,  the  townsmen  of  Wexford,  who  were  ia 
revolt,  had,  by  stratagen,  induced  Robert  Fitzstephen  to  surren- 
der his  fort,  at  Carrick,  and  had  imprisoned  him  in  one  of  the 
islands  of  their  harbor.  Waterford  had  been  surprised  and  taken 
by  Corraac  McCarthv,  Prince  of  Desmond,  and  Strongbow, 
alarmed  by  the  proclamation  of  Henry,  knew  hardly  whether  to 
consider  himself  outlaw,  subject  or  independent  sovereign. 

Raymond  the  Fat  had  returned  from  his  embassy  to  King 
Henry,  with  no  comfortable  tidings.  He  had  been  kept  day 
after  day  waiting  the  pleasure  of  the  King,  and  returned  with 
sentences  as  dubious  in  his  mouth,  as  those  on  which  Earl  Rich- 
ard had  originally  acted.  It  was  evidently  not  the  policy  of 
Henry  to  abandon  the  enterprize  already  so  well  begun,  but 
neither  was  it  his  interest  or  desire  that  any  subject  should  reap 
the  benefit,  or  erect  an  independent  power,  upon  his  mere  per- 
mission to  embark  in  the  service  of  McMurrough.  Herve,  tha 
Earl's  uncle,  had  been  despatched  as  embassador  in  Raymond's 


176 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAm 


I         ii 


waita,!  „„  Hen,,  ,,  N. Inhr      S.r"":^  '°  ''°="'"'''  -"'' 
wa,  i.„„„,„io„s„  reruaed  an  audio  TafT'     ^'  ""'  •■• 
tations  he  was  permitted  tn  „„     T-l'        »"«■■  repeated  solid- 
in  .lue  f„™  the  0  ty  Tb  b,r„  aL      T'°-    ""  '"^  ^-"'d 
Claims,  and  conseUt^d    t  tT:;  T  r^"-""  "• 
tenant  from  the  crown  •  i„  ret„m  f       t   f     °'°"'"''  °»  '"''«' 
fcrgiven  the  success  tL  haTa  ldJd\    '  'j"  '™  ^«'"»''' 
raittod  to  acoompanv  the  Ki^!^  ."  ^''™'»™.  and  per- 

autumn.  ^'  '"^  ^'"««  «P«iition,  in  the  ensuing 

aCThtS^ad'err  I:  ^"'"'"^«--3„eoe.J 
rison  from  Dublin     Thev  L        f   """  "'  "■«  "^^'an  gar- 
concert,  hut  .ther  in'  ^J-'^f""'  """e-'-cen  in 
surprising  the  city  bv  Asolnh  m    J  ™  ™  attempt  at 

•he  active  aid  of  L  intbtants^Tl"''"''''  '"'"''"'"^  ''"''"i  »» 
'■  a  ™ali  force,"  chiefly  from  t'  ,  ,T  "'°'-  ""  "ad  but 
ms.  The  0  cadia^wrnnd  ?K°'  '"''■"""  *""  *«  <>* 
called  John  the  FuZs  or  Mrr  '"'.T"""''  <"■  "  «'"™' 
e-  Of  the  North.  .ZlZTVZ^  t?  ""^"^■•^^*- 
"pecies  of  divine  frenw     Thi,  Z  ^^   ,  ''^''"  '"^^'^  as  a 

menutry  success,  was  L  J',  ^"^^  "^"^Pi""'  af"--  a  mo- 
and  flnaily  fell  by  th"  h  nd^f^^i^r^  ^^^^  '"  ""'"'■ 
ja.,  taken  prisoner,  and,  avowi^boMlv  Ws  t  ,  ''''"""' 
desist  from  attempting  t,^  recover  ,i,      ,  """"  "'"''■  'o 

The  second  attack  ha:  l^„r„,*"  P'T'  "«»  P"'  'o  death, 
ment  by  Roderick  OComror^Uher^f  f  ""  "  ™^'"'  '"™"- 
Island,  Which  was  only  broken' n  in  ,T  f  ""  ""■™'  "'  ">» 
Won,  by  a  desperate  Llv  o„  ,h  "^  "'""'  '"*"  »'  ''"  dura- 

.  Many  details  LiZstll  ZZT  "',*"  ^"''"'^  «""-"• 
a.e  given  l>y  OMaT^J'Tl^Z  '""«»'«'-"»-»e„t, 
find,  however,  little  war  ant  for  h  ^  '"'  '"P^''"'-    "^o 

»als,  anymor;  than  or  he  ant Uhtr  r'°"  '"  ""'  "'"'«  ^"■ 
partial  historian  places  in  the  Ik    ''^°"''  '""■="  ">»  ''amo 

—rJ^ri  £-~"'--^  »'r-:; 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


177 


AD  excursion  was  made  against  the  Leinster  Allies  of  the  Nor- 
mans, "  to  cut  down  and  burn  the  corn  of  the  Saxons."  The 
surprise  by  flight  of  the  monarch's  camp  is  also  duly  recorded  ; 
and  that  the  enemy  carried  off  "  the  provisions,  armor,  and 
horses  of  Roderick."  By  which  sally,  according  to  Oiraldus^ 
Dublin  having  obtained  provisions  enough  for  a  year,  Earl 
Richard  marched  to  Wexford,  "  taking  the  higher  way  by 
Idrone,"  with  the  hope  to  deliver  Fitzstephen.  But  the  Wexford 
men  having  burned  their  suburbs,  and  sent  their  goods  and  fam- 
ilies  Into  the  stockaded  island,  sent  him  word  that  at  the  first 
attack  they  would  put  Fitzstephen  and  his  companions  to  death. 
The  Earl,  therefore,  held  sorrowfully  on  his  way  to  Waterford, 
where,  leaving  a  stronger  force  than  the  first  garrison,  to  which 
he  had  entrusted  it,  he  sailed  for  England  to  make  his  peace  with 
King  Henry.  The  third  attempt  on  Dublin  was  made  by  the 
lord  of  Breffiii  during  the  Earl's  absence,  and  when  the  garrison 
were  nmch  reduced ;  it  was  equally  unsuccessful  with  those  al- 
ready recorded.  De  Cogan  displayed  his  usual  courage,  and  tho 
Lord  of  Breffui  lost  a  son  and  some  of  his  best  men  in  the 
assault. 

It  was  upon  the  marches  of  Wales  that  the  Earl  found  King 
Henry  busily  engaged  in  making  preparations  for  his  own  voyage 
into  Ireland.  He  had  levied  on  the  landholders  throughout  his 
dominions  an  escutage  or  commutation  for  personal  service,  and 
the  Pipe  roll,  which  contains  his  disbursements  for  the  year,  has 
led  an  habitually  cautious  writer  to  infer  "  that  the  force  raised 
for  the  expedition  was  much  more  numerous  than  has  been  rep- 
resented by  historians."  During  the  muster  of  his  forces  he  vis- 
ited Pembroke,  and  made  a  progress  through  North  Wales, 
severely  censuring  those  who  had  enlisted  under  Strongbow,  and 
placing  garrisons  of  his  own  men  in  their  castles.  At  Saint 
David's  he  made  the  usual  offering  on  the  shrine  of  the  Saint  and 
received  the  hospitaliti  3S  of  the  Bishop.  All  things  being  in 
readiness,  he  sailed  from  Milford  Haven,  with  a  fleet  of  400 
transports,  having  on  board  many  of  the  Norman  nobility,  600 
knights,  and  an  army  usually  estimated  at  4,000  men  at  arms. 
On  the  18th  of  October,  1171,  he  landed  safely  at  Crook,  in  the 
county  of  Waterford,  being  unable,  according  to  an  old  local 


III 
I 


'  '  I 


'I  ii 


1  ' 

^           'i 

i 

i  1 

178 


"'"■''""    ««™M    of  ,nK.AKO. 


tradition,  to  sail  up  the  rirer  fmm    ,i 

•and  Of  that  l,arbor  isZeliZcS''^  "'"''•  ^'  »"«  "^a* 
-dage  "  by  hoolr  or  by  crook  "tV"  k  °  ""'''  <'™<'*-  *»  «M 
occasion.  ^      °'''   "^  ""«'gl"  to  hare  arisen  on  tliis 

In  Henry's  train,  beside  Earl  Kicharrf  », 
de  Lacy,  some  time  Constable  of  Cheat    '  wn,™  "™'  "™''  ""8" 
ancestor  of  the  Clanrickard. .  ti"  T^',  '^'"'a™.sonof  Aldelm. 
Butie,.,  Bobert  le  C  an  '  !  """f  "'^""■•'  '"°»»»tor  of  the 
O"  Bohun,Bobert  f^SalrtH ,  . !?"  ^"'^'^^  """Phrey 
Hastings,  Philip  de  3^7.^  "ttf""'"""''"' '''''"'' ^' 
names  were  renowned  throu..hout  Z?       f  '"'™"*"  "hose 
'"posing  host  fonned  „»  the  s"!      °        ^'°"°"''-    ^»  "» 
an  English  chronicler,  C  fromTneL?''  "'''■  ^^'"^^ 
immediately  caught  and  preseXd  ,o  f.    .""*  ""'«''•  ""''  ™ 
victory.    Prophecies,  pagrZl  -^^     °  ''''"^  ="  "■'  ->"»"  »< 
Saint  Moling  .„d  tri  dTaTribu  e^'n  V™'™™  '"""-O  °« 
ered  in  his  path.    But  the  trulls      Merhn-were  freely  show- 
ed for  h-e,f,i„a"ttitu;n°:bich  h'/r"  "'  »'^^' 
"a^s  Which  had  ceaaed  to  be  ZTl^  '""  "'  f"™.  '» 
brave  indeed  a.  mortal  men  could  w'b"e  '"  "  '''"''''"  '^' 
vengeful  and  insurbordinate     p„r  ,1'        """'•  ""'^^<"  '«• 
these  demoniacal  r«s,i„nra  te!rl      r"""""'  '"""'S™"'  "t 

fan  on  them,  »d^o   onV  o^,    hi  hT,™"' "="  ^''™' «» 
poor  people.  ^        "'™'  •>"'  also,  alas!  on  their 

isrh'ZbeVm.r^hXrTf '1-  'vr^  -  -^^  -» 

months.  For  th,  first  poNtictan  of  v''  ''"'°""'«' J"'' «o,en 
Of  auch  troops,  and  so  mn  h  ^^sn'e  l'^^'  ""*  »»  """""and 
not  possibly  be  barren  of  con  fquen^s  C"  T"""  """"^ 
diplomacy,  was  seldom  more  ind„„;      ,'  '  *"  ^'-^''  °' 

The  townsmen  of  We^foTa^e  oT     '  "  ^"P^"'^  ^-Pi-^^d. 
taken  place,  hastened  to  make  ttl,  t  ""I™' ""  '"""  »'  "  "»" 
to  him  their  prisoner  Bobm  p-f      '"""»"'*''  and  to  deliver  up 
Henry,  aflec  i„g  tl!e'samo  dZl      ''"■°"'  *"  ""' <>f">«  invaders 
for  all  those  wL  haHntS:::? '""'"''  ""^^P"™  ""did 
hin>  to  bs  fettered  and  ta?rl„  J' •  °?  '""""''»"•  "■•'«"«<' 
Waterford  ho  also  rec^ve^TTl, '"  "°*'"'"<''«  '»"«■••    At 
Dasies  and  Ossory,  aM  pTolLbl  v 7   ?™"""'  "'  *»  '»-^»  »' 
7,  aa.  probably  some  form  of  feudal  submission 


--4^ 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


179 


was  unfler^one  by  those  chiefs.  Cormac,  Prince  of  Desmond, 
followed  their  example,  and  soon  afterwards  Donald  O'Brien  of 
?horaond  met  him  on  the  banks  of  the  Suir,  not  far  from  Cashel, 
made  his  peace,  and  agreed  to  receive  a  Norman  garrison  in  his 
Hiherno-Danish  city  of  Limerick.  Having  appointed  comman- 
ders over  these  and  other  southern  garrisons  Henry  proceeded 
to  Dublin,  where  a  spacious  cage-work  palace,  on  a  lawn  without 
the  city,  was  prejjared  for  winter  quarters.  Here  he  continued 
those  negotiations  with  the  Irish  chiefs,  which  we  are  told  were 
so  generally  successful.  Amongst  others  whose  adher'on  he  re- 
ceived, mention  is  made  of  the  lord  of  Breffni,  the  most  faithful 
follower  the  Monarch  Roderick  could  count.  The  chiefs  of  the 
Northern  Hy-Nial  remained  deaf  to  all  his  overtures,  and  though 
Fltz-Aldehn  and  de  Lacy,  the  commissioners  despatched  to  treat 
with  Roderick,  are  said  to  have  procured  from  the  deserted  Ard- 
Riglh  an  act  of  submission,  it  is  incredible  that  a  document  of 
Buch  consequence  should  have  been  allowed  to  perish.  Indeed 
most  of  the  confident  assertions  about  submissions  to  Henry  are 
to  be  taken  with  great  caution ;  it  is  quite  certain  he  himself, 
though  he  lived  nearly  twenty  years  after  his  Irish  expedition, 
never  assumed  any  Irish  title  whatever.  It  is  equally  true  that 
his  successor  Richard  I.  never  assumed  any  such  title,  as  an  in- 
cident of  the  English  crown.  And  although  Henry  in  the  year 
1185  created  his  youngest  son,  John  Lackland,  "  lord  of  Ireland," 
it  was  precisely  in  the  same  spirit  and  with  as  much  ground  of 
title  as  he  had  for  creating  Hugh  de  Lacy,  Lord  of  Meath,  or 
John  de  Conrcy,  Earl  of  Ulster.  Of  this  question  of  title  we 
Rhall  speak  more  fully  hereafter,  for  we  do  not  recognize  any 
English  sovereign  as  King  of  Ireland,  previous  to  the  year  1541; 
but  it  ought  surely  be  conclusive  evidence,  that  neither  hud 
Henry  claimed  the  crown,  nor  had  the  Irish  chiefs  acknowledged 
him  as  their  Ard-Righ,  that  in  the  two  authentic  documents 
from  his  hand  which  we  possess,  he  neither  signs  himself  Rex 
nor  Dominus  Ilihernice.  These  documents  are  the  Charter  of 
Dublin,  and  the  Concession  of  Qlendalough,  and  their  authentic- 
ity has  never  been  disputed. 

After  spending  a  right  merry  Christmas  with  Norman  and 
Milesian  guests  in  abundance  at  Dublin,  Henry  proceeded  to 


180 


POPCLAR    mBIORT   OP   IREIAND. 


-iedari,,.  .uu  an  e"l»  T    *,'""'  '""""^■^  J''""  before, 

«  «>-a  was  ,el,i  a.  oL.,,T: ZyZlZ  \'  '"  "'="^'''' 
enacted.     Tliese  related  to  tl.p  nr  .    salutary  decrees  were 

.ci.ni„i.trau„„  „,  bapti™  intap 'mal  otn"-^  "'""=''^'  '"» 
ab„lui„„  „,^,,„,,,  „^  layXruZoTr  ,'"''°"^''''''  '"« 
thei™„o.i«„„„,.  u.he,,  boJo^elld^t  'r'''"^-  ""* 

tecncea  are  thence  drawn  of  H«,„  „'  f'""""  "-"""a',  auj  ,n. 
clergy  of  the  na.ion.  TWe  f  ,7  '"'"""°''  """«'  "™-  "'« 
Bisbops  Of  Ulster  o  C„„„.„l  „  '"'  °"  '"''"""'  ">'"  "'« 
-„„g  negative  testij^rtt  J  JLrw'  "'  .'""''•  ""' 
date  Of  the  ^,„e  year  to  the  i'our  S  t  J  """"^  "" 

elergy  and  laity  of  Ireland  wa    ron„       ,  '^  "^""'  »'  "'« 

0-Conor  and  the  ArchbrhorCa  ~oVr  ^  "•"''^'* 
possible  that  thi.  meeting  ooL  be  in  contli.  '^  '  '^  """"^ 
w.th  the  asBotobly  convoked  at  th,  L  an  e  of  hI"     °°'""''' 

Following  qnickly  npon  the  Caahel  SvTj  b  ■^• 

ria  Begis"  „r  Great  Co„rt  at  L^T!  •  '  "»"••>'''«><•  a  "  Cu- 
omce.  Of  Mar,ha,,  cCX  ^T^X  ^  'r"  T'^  '"^ 
Bichard  was  created  the  drat  lo,v1  m  t  ,  '"'*"''•  ^arl 
lord  Constable.  Iheob^,,  "r  ^^T,""' '  "»  ''"y-  «>«  «". 
already  chief  Bn.ler,  and  ,  e  VeCn  w  ""'"''  '""^"■^  "»» 

Steward  or  Senescha      Such  Ir     T  °'^'"'  *«  ««'  hish 
the  preservation  ot^ZTl^T'  "^  """"^  >«  '»"«"  '»' 
elected.    The  surplus  ISl    Tl^  ''"''"'''^'  "^  »»'  "e-' 
"f  Dublin  to  be  hr:f  hC  "na  hlf  • '"'  f"^'"  "  <">-'« 
liberties  and  free  customs  I  i°f       "l'™'     "'"■  »"  "■»  »ara, 
^ord  was  committed  Tth     ^a'™  Jf'^f,"' »'*'«'-"    '^ea- 
1e  Bohun,  and  Dublin  to  detalf   Ca^     ''""'  '""'"*■■''  «» 
erected  in  the  towns  and  at  othJ,:         .       """^  "'^""^  *»  •« 
paving  caused  all  those^ttlSltd? '''"""° '^'"""• 
homage  in  themost  solemn  form  «.»Ia      ll      ^  '*°*"'  "'eir 
Wexford  Haven,  and  on  the T:^.""  ^°»'«'- Monday  from 

Wales.    Here  ^.  assume^^LX^^.tr'"' ^ ''"''"' '» 

Pilgrims  staff,  and  proceeded 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


181 


humbly  on  foot  to  St.  l)av!d'8,  preparatory  to  meeting  the  Papal 
Commissioners  appointed  to  inquire  into  Beckett's  murder. 

It  is  quite  apparent  that  had  Henry  landed  in  Ireland  at  any 
other  period  of  his  life  except  in  the  year  of  the  martyrdom  cf 
the  renowned  Archbishop  of  danterbury,  while  the  wrath  of 
Rome  was  yet  hanging  poised  in  the  air  ready  to  be  hurled 
against  him,  he  would  not  have  left  the  work  he  undertook  but 
half  begun.     The  nett  result  of  his  expedition,  of  his  great 
fleet,  mighty  army,  and  sagacious  counsels,  was  the  infusion  of 
a  vast  number  of  new  adventurei's  (most  of  them  of  higher  rank 
and  better  fortunes  than  their  precursors),  into  the  same  old 
field.    Except  the  garrisons  admitted  into  Limerick  and  Cork, 
and  the  displacing  of  Strongbow's  commandants  by  his  own  at 
Waterford,  Wexford,  and  Dublin,  there  seems  to  have  been  little 
gained  in  a  military  sense.    The  decrees  of  the  Synod  of  Cashel 
-would,  no  doubt,  stand  him  in  good  stead  with  the  Papal  legates 
as  evidences  of  his  desire  to  enforce  strict  discipline,  even  on  land« 
beyond  those  over  which  he  actually  ruled.    But,  after  all,  ha- 
rassed as  he  was  with  apprehensions  of  the  future,  perhaps  no 
other  Prince  covild  have  done  more  in  a  single  winter  in  a  strange 
country  than  Henry  11.  did  for  his  seven  months'  sojourn  in 
Ireland. 


•♦>■ 


CHAPTER  V. 

FROM  THE  RBTCRN  OP  HE5RT  11.  TO  ENGLAND  TILL  THE  DEATH  OP 
EARL  RICHARD  AND  HIS  PRINCIPAL  COMPANIONS. 

The  Ard-Righ  Roderick,  during  the  period  ot  Henry  the 
Second's  stay  in  Ireland,  had  continued  west  of  the  Shannon. 
Unsupported  by  his  suffragans,  many  of  whom  made  peace  with 
the  invader,  he  attempted  no  military  operation,  nor  had  Henry 
time  sufficient  to  follow  him  into  his  strongholds.  It  was  reserv- 
ed for  this  ill-fated,  and,  we  cannot  but  think,  harshly  judged 
monarch,  to  outlive  the  first  generation  of  the  invaders  of  his 
country,  and  to  close  a  reign  which  promised  so  brightly  at 
the  beginning,  in  the  midst  of  a  distracted,  war-spent  peop]« 
16 


182 


POPULAR    HISrORF    OP   IRELAND. 


hh  possesions,  Tie^ri  in.  K.  /"  "«' M'""'"  addition  I, 

east  of  Moath  had  berZidL  bT  """V"™'-  ^"'='™")'  "» 
"  the  four  tribes  ofTart"^, !""'«"'  ""'  '<""■  '™""'»  "a'led 
O'Hart,  O'Kelly,  OConnell'v  aid  oV™''  ""  """  ''"«"<^'^«'> 
the  power  of  t  ,o  al.  w '"  ".f '=''"•  'Whether  to  balance 
because  these  Jn„r  tr  b-  ""  O'Melaghlin,  or 

-ccessfuily,  RoZi  ,  t:  rfaZr  :  '."  ""''"  "'^"'^"™ 
"■Id  given  the  aeawa  d  side  a  !,  Petitioned  Meath, 

O'Kuarc,    The  investi 're  „;«:::  dTi"  'V  ""^  »' 
Willi  the  seignory  of  the  s,ml  H      ■  ■  .       '"'^  ^^  '^''"i  Henry 

almost  indefinite  se"  e  '  n  «^:  'The  1     "'°  ""'"""'  "'  ^ 
naUvcs,  ..ut  „„rt  ofle„;r  Normans       '^       "  "'"  '°"«'«™» 

.ea^lroyTtl^taTlm'"'''"'';'"'''"'  "  ">">"' »'  Ward. 
in«  clain,s  'upon  ^1,0",''  b  ^h  "  '  •  "'■'■"'  '"^'^  -»"-'- 
against  surprise,  by  Lh i^t  r.!>  '""'"°'  """"'»")'  S'"'"><"i 
e«.  The  Princ'ipils  te?a;:rt  0*1?  '™""  "'  »™«''  ™'»'°- 
tbe  circumvallations  of  it,rct  "i  '","'  ""'  "'"'  •™'<' 

preler  only  was  present.     An T  '  "  ""°"  ""^'"e'l  inter- 

them,  O'Euarc  lostWs  tenlrl!?  "."'"'"«''*'"  "«'>-«„ 
all  our  warriors  carri  dTnTrd  "'""  ""  ''""'-'^'-  -"-" 
tot  century  did   their  sword,     th'"' "^  ""  ""'""''™"  »f  "'» 

.t^ops  of  guards  to  ma:.ch::^tristh:::  tr""!  '"  ^°'" 
"ig  to  fly,  had  been  twice  felledlofl  i,        ''"'''■' '"  ""^"'1"- 

»..der  Maurice  Pitz,eraW  a^d  Or,-»  l  T    '  "'"'"  '"'  ">""'"'"■ 

rescue,  and  assailedlhe  chief  of  B^i      ,7''"''  ™™  "' '"« 
turn  to  attempt  escauin^  but  •„  I,.  .  ,    """  "°"  Tienmn's 

of  Orifflth  brought  himTo  1  '"/  "'°'*  '''»  '"""  '"o  ''P™' 
followers  fled.  °Hi,  head  Z  T  "T- '"'''"''''"'•  ^"'^  ^''^ 
>vhere  it  was  spiked  oer  He  n„,h        '"  "''""'""  ""  »"""". 

'  witii  the  feet  uppermost.     Tiiua 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


183 


a  spectacle  of  intense  pity  to  the  Irish  did  these  severed  mem« 
bers  of  one  of  their  most  famous  nobles  remain  exposed  on  that 
side  of  the  stronghold  of  the  stranger  which  looks  towards  tlie 
pleasant  plains  of  Meath  and  the  verdant  uplands  of  Cavan  < 

The  administration  of  de  Lacy  was  now  interrupted  by  a  sum- 
mons to  join  his  royal  master,  sore  beset  by  his  own  sons  in 
Normandy.  The  Kings  of  France  and  Scotland  were  in  alliance 
with  those  unnatural  Princes,  and  their  mother,  Queen  Eleanor, 
might  be  called  the  author  of  their  rebellion.  As  all  the  force 
that  could  be  spared  from  Ireland  was  needed  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  Normandy,  de  Lacy  hastened  to  obey  the  royal  summons, 
and  Earl  Richard,  by  virtue  of  his  rank  of  Marshal,  took  for  the 
•  moment  the  command  in  chief.  Henry,  however,  who  never 
cordially  forgave  that  adventurer,  first  required  his  presence  in 
France,  and  when,  alarmed  by  ill  news  from  Ireland,  he  sent 
him  back  to  defend  the  conquests  already  made,  he  associated 
with  him  in  the  supreme  command — though  not  apparently  in 
the  civil  administration — the  gallant  Raymond  le  gros.  And  it 
was  full  time  for  the  best  head  and  the  bravest  sword  among 
the  first  invaders  to  return  to  their  work — a  task  not  to  be  so 
easily  achieved  as  many  confident  persons  then  believed,  and  as 
many  ill-informed  writers  have  since  described  it. 

During  the  early  rule  of  de  Lacy,  Earl  Richard  had  established 
himself  at  Ferns,  assuming,  to  such  of  the  Irish  as  adhered  to 
him,  the  demeanor  of  a  king.  After  Dermid's  death  he  styled 
himself,  in  utter  disregard  of  Irish  law,  "  Prince  of  Leinstt  r,"  in 
virtue  of  his  wife.  He  proceeded  to  create  feudal  dignitaries, 
placing  at  their  head,  as  Constable  of  Leinster,  Robert  de  Quincy, 
to  whom  he  gave  his  daughter,  by  his  first  wife,  in  marriage.  At 
this  point  the  male  representatives  of  King  Dermid  came  to  open 
rupture  with  the  Earl.  Donald  Kavanagh,  surnamed  "  the 
Handsome,"  and  by  the  Normans  usually  spoken  of  as  "  Prince" 
Donald,  could  scarcely  be  expected  to  submit  to  an  arrangement, 
so  opposed  to  all  ancient  custom,  and  to  his  own  interests.  He 
had  borne  a  leading  part  in  the  restoration  of  his  father,  but 
surely  not  to  this  end— the  exclusion  of  the  male  succession. 
He  had  been  one  of  King  Henry's  guests  during  the  Christmas 
holidays  of  the  year  1172,  and  had  rendered  huu  some  sort  of 


184 


"OPUIAB    „,„OBT    O,   ,«,„^„. 


""raage,  a,  Prince  of  l^i„nler     H 

Eva,  the  Earl-s  „,-,,,  pr„,,d   '"?  ^"">  '"«•  into  (avor  untU 

*«t  there  wa,  „o  di^c.  mller  J"!.  ""'  °'  "«'"'=''    »"' 
execution  of  Conor  th.  h    ■  "'  """"i''  "ef,  after  H,» 

»«•  To  E„«,ir„:to  rs  ^irH-"'"  "^  ^-' « 

«8«.n»t  Donald's  title,  but  to  ..'""'f"  ""^  l-een  co„cl„,i™ 

"-^p proportion  of  the  pawli  '  r**"*""*'  "  '™  ""' »»•    A 
<»le4  '"e  native  partyladhTr'    ^r'"™""-'""" -iSW  b. 
"jeo'ta,  the  title  Sensed  th     1  tue^TJ""^^''  ""«-'' 
Such  conflicting  intar....      ??        '*^^  E""- 

'»-.  and  the  i<o'oTz/iZT'r:r"''  "^^ "» 

Fern,  one  of  Donald's  sona  hoM  k  V-  '"'  ^'"  ««=»«»«  at 
expedition  against  O'Cp"  1   'L  'l    ""  "  "  """"S^-    ^  .„ 
i"  title,  the  Earl  loa,  in  ,1?'  "'"'  »'»  «f»»«l  t« acknowledge 
«e  guincy,  aevenu  oZ^t^lT"^'':  "'  »'»  "»  aon-in^a; 
The  f„llo„i„,  ,^,  we iSt  tteTnt  °  i' '?"""  "'  ^»™''"' 
»•  ,  that  King  Donald.,  men  bein^*      ?"  ^"""^  "'  ^'"'o- 
men,  „„dc  a  great  slaughter  Of  si  Tl^  °^'"°''  "">  Earl', 
llofeat  he  suffered  in  th    sift         ,f "«»«'»  the  „o«t 

Munster  he  was  encountetdTa  n^ch"; "k"'    **"*'•"=  '"'» 

'he  troops  of  the  n,onarch  Bode"  ickf.     "'""°'"  ™'"'™  "y 
Conor,  surnamedifo,-^^™^;"-;')"  command  Of  his  son! 

under  Donald  More  O'Bnt     W;^  ol"  "'"''P'  »'  ^Lomond. 
-nW  be  spared  of  the  g  r^„„  ^  Vn  7''°"  ""■■•  '"  "">" 
detaohn,e„t  of  Danish  origin     Four  k„?^?' '°°''""°»  »  'trong 
for,  according  to  other  accounts  Z    T^l.  """  '»'"''  '■"ndrel 
Normans  we.,  ,e,t  dead  orthe  W  T  '"k"""'"'^  ™»  »' *« 
the  remnant  of  hi,  force  ,o  wl^fl  w"f "  '"™'«''  ""h 
feat  having  reached  that  cityTefo- h  '    !'  *°  "'"  "f  ««  de. 
«™,  andput  hi,  garrison  ofTwotndrM         '"""^P«»P'»  'an  to 

'=ixryrti:;r£^' -=  ^r 
"HXrrrciriH?"-- 

-    ---e,uin:yrrdeS~atth^^ 


POPULAR    HISTORY    07   FRELAKD. 


18i 


■haken  his  military  reputation.    HIh  jealousy  of  that  powerful 
family  connexion,  the  Qeraldlnes,  had  driven  Maurice  Fitzgerald 
anil  Raymond  the  Fat  to  retire  in  disgust  into  Wales.    Donald 
Kavanagh,  O'Dempsey,  and  the  native  party  in  Leinster,  sel 
him  at  defiance,  and  his  own  troops  refused  to  obey  the  orders 
of  his  uncle  Hervey,  demanding  to  be  led  by  the  more  popular 
and  youthful  Raymond.    To  add  to  his  embarrassments,  Henry 
summoned  him  to  France  in  the  very  crisis  of  his  troubles,  and 
he  dared  not  disobey  that  jealous  and  exacting  master.    He  was, 
however,  not  long  detained  by  the  English  King.    Clothed  with 
supreme  authority,  and  with  Raymond  for  his  lieutenant,  he  re- 
turned to  resume  the  work  of  conquest.    To  conciliate  the  Qer- 
aldlnes, he  at  last  consented  to  give  his  sister  Basilia  in  marriage 
to  the  brilliant  captain,  on  whose  sword  so  much  depended.     At 
the  same  time  Alina,  the  widow  of  de  Quincy,  wa^  m  irried   to 
the  second  son  of  Fitzgerald,  and  Nesta  Fitzgerald  was  united  to 
Raymond's  former  rival,  Hervey.    Thus,  bound  together,  fortune 
returned  in  full  tide  to  the  adventurers.    Limerick,  which  had 
been  taken  and  burned  to  the  water's  edge  by  Donald  O'Brien 
after  the  battle  of  Thurles,  was  recaptured  and  fortified  anew  ; 
Waterford  wjis  more  strongly  garrisoned  than  ever;   Donald 
Kavanagh  was  taken  oflf,  apparently  by  treachery  (A.  D.  1175), 
and  all  seemed  to  promise  the  enjoyment  of  uninterruj)ted  power 
to  the  Earl.    But  his  end  was  already  come.    An  ulcer  in  his 
foot  brought  on  a  long  and  loathsome  illness  which  terminated 
in  his  death,  in  the  month  of  May,  1176,  or  1177.    He  was 
buried  in  Christ  Church,  Dublin,  which  he  had  contributed  to 
enlarge,  and  was  temporarily  succeeded  in  the  government  of  the 
Normans  by  his  lieutenant  and  brother-in-law,  Raymond.    By 
the  Lady  Eva  he  left  one  daughter,  Isabel,  married  at  the  age  of 
fo^irteen  to  William   Marshall,  Earl   of  Pembroke,  who  after- 
wards claimed  the  proprietary  of  Leinster,  by  virtue  of  this  mar- 
riage.   Lady  Isabel  left  again  five  daughters,  who  were  the  an- 
ceiL'tresses  of  the  Mortimers,  Bruces,  and  other  historic  families  of 
England  and  Scotland.    And  so  the  blood  of  Earl  Richard  and  his 
Irish  Princess  descended  for  many  generations  to  enrich  other 
houses  and  ennoble  other  names  than  his  own. 
Strongbow  is  described  by  OiraUus,  whose  personal  sketches, 


:     f 


I  ; 


J8C 


POPULAR    HISTORT    OF    IRLLAND. 


feminine  and  «l  rill  ami  IV«  '        '"'^  ''""•^"'•'  '""«  ^"!«« 

career  in  Irerd  was  III /T';'''  '^'"''^  *"^  "'"^«"»-     ^^'^ 

and  his  ritirjtv:  rau:7:r:i\^^^^ 

Had  they  been  so  or  had  In  7^  ^''^  he  undertook. 

by  .i.  .Lrain.  2  n^r,!!  nT^i^ ^^^^ 

on  as  solid  a  basis  as  Wi.lia.n,  or  as  RoHo  h    Lirrd  do  fe""^' 

Raymond  and  the  Geraldines  hari  .        J         !  ®- 

the  supreme  power,  civil  a«lT  ^-J -ment, 

his  haste  to  take  adv'anta.e  of  t"  a^;  eatro7\  Tl"  '" 
privately  been  informed  by  a  messa^  fl  u-  ^^  ^^'"'^  ''"  ^«^ 
left  Limerick  in  the  hand^of  Zal/Ze"^^  ^^T"'^ 
we  are  told,  a  solemn  oath  from  the  Prince  of  Th'  7^'"^' 
tect  the  city,  which  thelatLer  broke  beZ.h  J  "^  '"  ^''" 
were  out  of  si^ht  of  its  walir  t.      .  ^^  ^°''™''"  garrisons 

-.  a.e,  -rsltr  rnttail  X^^^^^^^^  ^^  ^'- 

and  passionate  Oiraldus.     Whether  the  n      tr-°'  ""^'^"""^ 
ited  him  with  the  kin<x  or  .hi  Jo«s  of  Limerick  discred- 

me  king,  or  the  ancient  joalousv  of  fh«»  flrof  o^ 
turers  prevailed  in  the  royal  councils  HenrlT  .  ''^"' 

cary  of  England,  and,  like  Fit^-Aldelm  descended  fm     I  ^^ 
mother  of  William  the  Conqueror  bv  Wt  /        '^'''*'"''' 

another  name  destined  to  become  hi„„riLiK  .  .  ^°  ''°°'''=)'' 
his  achievements,  we  must  corradrthT  k^-  '"'"^  """"»' 
gards  the  first  .  ,  .,•  aav.mtarers  *™"™  '°  '"■■  ■"  '•''• 

the  Fat,  superceded  by  Fitz  Aldelm  "y,^^' "7^-  Raymond 
«.e  Kin.  retired  to  hi^  ,!ltte  alTo  tl;"""^  ^^ 
"nly  «„ce  more  in  arm»-in  the  year  11«7  •  f'  '  *'''"""'' 
Hohert  .t^tephen.    Thi,  premCUI^Lt: -;;-. 


POPULAR    III8T0.it    OF    IRELAND. 


187 


by  thfi  new  rulor  with  the  command  of  the  garrison  of  Cork,  as 
Milo  do  Cogan  had  been  with  that  of  Waterford,  and  both  liad 
heon  invostod  witli  equal  halves  of  the  princi|)ality  of  Desmond. 
Do  Ci)j,'an,  Ilalpii,  son  of  Filzstephen,  and  other  knights  had  been 
cut  off  by  surprise,  at  the  house  of  one  McTire  near  Lismoro,  in 
1182,  and  all  Desmond  was  up  in  arms  for  the  expulsion  of  the 
foreign  garrisons.  R:iymond  sailed  fronj  Wexford  to  the  aid  of 
his  uncle  and  succeeded  in  relifwing  the  city  from  the  sea.  But 
Fitzstephen,  afflicted-  with  grief  for  the  death  of  his  son,  and 
worn  down  with  many  anxieties,  sufftM-ed  the  still  greater  loss  of  his 
•^ason.  Prom  thenceforth,  we  hear  no  more  of  either  uncle  or  ne- 
phew, and  we  may  therefore  account  this  the  last  year  of  Robert 
Fitzstephen,  Milo  de  Cogan  and  Raymond  le  gros.  Hervoy  de 
Montmorency,  the  ancient  rival  of  Raymond,  had  three  yearj 
earlier  retired  from  the  world,  to  become  a  brother  in  the  Mon- 
astery of  the  Holy  Trinity  at  Canterbury.  His  Irish  estates 
passed  to  liis  brother  Geoffrey,  who  subsequently  became  Jus- 
ticiary of  the  Normans  in  Ireland,  the  successful  rival  of  the 
Marshals,  and  founder  of  the  Irish  title  of  Mountmorres.  The 
posterity  of  Raymond  survived  in  the  noble  family  of  Grace, 
Barons  of  Courtstown,  in  Ossory.  It  is  not,  therefore,  strictly  true, 
what  Geoffrey  Keating  and  the  authors  he  followed  have  asserted 
— that  the  first  Normans  were  punished  by  the  loss  of  posterity 
for  the  crimes  and  outrages  they  had  committed,  in  their  various 
expeditions. 

Let  us  be  just  even  to  these  spoilers  of  our  race.  They  were 
fair  specimens  of  the  prevailing  type  of  Norman  character.  In- 
domitable bravery  was  not  their  only  virtue.  In  patience,  in 
policy,  and  in  rising  superior  to  all  obstacles  and  reverses,  no 
group  of  conquerors  ever  surpassed  Strongbow  and  his  compan- 
ions. Ties  of  blood  and  brotherhood  in  arms  were  strong  be- 
tween them,  and  whatever  unfair  advantages  they  allowed 
themselves  to  take  of  their  enemy,  they  were  in  general  constant 
and  devoted  in  their  friendships  towards  each  other.  Rivalries 
and  ijitriguea  were  not  unknown  among  them,  but  generous 
self-denial  and  chvalrous  self-reliance  were  equally  as  common. 
If  it  had  been  the  lot  of  our  ancestors  to  be  effectually  conquered 
they  could  hardly  have  yielded  to  nobler  foes.    But  as  they 


Ill 


\ 


18S 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


proved  themselves  abl«  in.  ^-.n-  * 

tion  i.>  the  energy  ^d'  *°      k  T  "  »"S;n.emed  in  pf„p„r. 
broaght  ,0  bear  Sai^uSr'    "^  '"  *"™"""'""  »*  ™'. 

Neither  should  >-,e  overstate  Ik.  »k 
invade,^  broke  down  ^nil^J^X^'"  °'  '""P'^'y-    »  *« 
^  they  bunt  better  and  costlier^™  ?  "°^™  '"  ""  "«"  »'  •»""•. 
Christ  Church,  Dublin  DuXS^'ltJ'"'  °'  "■»  *»"»  »'  'i^'ory 
terford,  the  drey  FZ^^Tb^'J^'^l'  "'  ""  "^'"^'^  "  ^- 
«™ses  long  stood,  o   Milutj  t    ."   t'  ""''  °*'^  ""«'»»» 
Nonnaa,    like  th;  first  Dl^'-Lfr  that  although  the  first 

»fter  land,  unlike  the  Dan,  to'e,^^^  "*"'  """■  ""»  '""*« 
wherever  he  conquered  ' ""  °'"^'"'^'  l"  '"'P">'«l, 


CHAPTER  Vr. 

™  """"""  ™  "—o»™c.  oWh. 

The  victory  of  Thurlp<»  in  *u 
portant  mnitiiy  event  iCw!  T' "7*'  ™  ""  »«'  ta- 
«econd  siege  of  Dub,  n  in  The  Z.       ' ''"°'' """"'^'"S  »<  the 
It  seems  irmconcileable  JmL  7   "*"""'*"  °'  "="'  KW»H. 
that  Ambassadors  from  S'tt TT"°°'  °'  """  ""^'y. 
Of  Hen.7  ir.  before  thTcfo  X,  f^w  '°''°''  "'  "«'  "'-^ 
personal  to  both  sovereigns  JlmmJ^"''  ''"'■  '"'<■  »'«■"» 
inomaly.  ^  "'"  sufflcently  ojiplain  the  apparent 

His  rebellious  sons,  afiersevllVT  '  """'  »  ^°™''"')y- 
homage;  the  King'  of  CnThS  Tj,™'''""'*''  """  <""  I"'"' 
P»aoe;  the  King  :t  Scotland  °.^  ?  1^  ^  "='='P'^  ""  '«™»  of 
fealty  as  his  He^e  ma  nd  ^ » 'l^^' H^  ™'^-«'  ^m 
h«  power,  „as  a  prisoner  for  iffe  Trferr''  ''^™^  '""""  »'» 
conspiracy  in  his  own  famHytdeS  o^^  ^''^T  "'""""-' 
fortunate  in  coercing  them  in  to  obej  ^ee     Z  ,T.  '""  '^" 

wouience.    H,a  eldest  son,  Mur- 


POPULAR    HISTORT    OF    IRELAND. 


189 


^y,  claimed,  accwding  to  ancient  custom,  that  his  father  shou'  c^. 
resign  in  his  favor  the  patrimonial  Province,  contenting  himself 
with  the  higher  rank  of  King  of  Ireland.  But  Roderick  well 
understood  that  in  his  days,  with  a  new  and  most  formidable 
enemy  established  in  the  old  Danish  strongholds,  with  the  Con- 
•tituUon  torn  to  shreds  by  the  war  of  succession,  his  only  real 
power  was  over  his  patrimony ;  he  refused,  theretore,  the  un- 
reasonable request,  and  thus  converted  some  of  his  own  children 
Into  enemies.  Nor  were  there  wanting  Princes,  themselves 
fathers,  who  abetted  this  household  treason,  as  the  Kings  ol 
franco  and  Scotland  had  done  among  the  sons  of  Henry  II.  Soon 
■fter  the  battle  of  Thurles,  the  recovery  of  Limerick,  and  the 
•aking  of  Kilkenny,  Donald  More  O'Brien,  lending  himself  to 
KDtd  odious  intrigue,  was  overpower,  d  and  deposed  by  Roderick, 
l>ut  ihe  year  noxt  succeeding  having  made  submission  he  was 
restored  by  the  samo  hand  which  had  cast  him  down.  It  was, 
therefore,  while  harassed  by  the  open  rebellion  of  his  eldest  son, 
and  while  Henry  was  rejoicing  in  his  late  success,  that  Roderick 
despatched  to  the  Court  of  Windsor  Catholicus,  A  Abishop  of 
Tuam,  Concors,  Abbot  of  St.  Brendan's,  and  Lai  rence.  Arch- 
bishop  of  Dublin,  who  is  styled  in  these  proceedings,  "  Chancel- 
lor of  the  Irish  Kiag,"  to  negotiate  an  alliance  with  Henry,  which 
would  leave  him  free  to  combat  against  his  domestic  enemies. 
An  exti-aordinary  treaty,  agreed  upon  :xt  Windsor,  about  the 
feast  of  Michaelmas,  1175,  recognized  Roderick's  sovereignty 
over  Ireland,  the  cantreds  and  cities  actually  possessed  by  the  sub- 
jects of  Henry  excepted ;  it  subinfeudated  his  authority  to  that 
of  Henry,  after  the  manner  lately  adopted  towards  William,  King 
of  Scotland ;  the  payment  of  a  merchar.tablo  hide  of  every  tenth 
hide  of  cattle  was  agreed  upon  as  an  annual  tribute,  while  the 
minor  chiefs  were  to  acknowledge  their  dependence  by  annual 
presents  of  hawks  and  hounds.  This  treaty,  which  proceeded  on 
the  wild  assumption  that  the  feudal  system  was  of  force  among 
the  free  clans  of  Erin,  was  probably  the  basis  of  Henry's  grant 
of  the  Lordship  of  Ireland  to  his  son,  John  Lackland,  a  few 
years  later :  it  was  solemnly  approved  by  a  special  Council,  or 
Parliament,  and  signed  by  the  representatives  of  both  parties. 
Among  the  ^gn&tt  wo  find  the  name  of  the  Archbishop  o< 


190 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAMl*. 


of  St  Thomas     F  ''  ''^"^'  celebrating  Mass  at  the  to.nb 

Popo  Alexander T,L     ;;:r  Crh        r'  T  "'  '"''"'"  "^ 
powers  which  he  „L  IT  ''°''"'"°''  ""•■  '«g«n«i» 

Henry  II.  oT  th    In  TL,:::: T"''^  """  '"^  """'"^  "> 
fulfllraent  of  the  treat!  Tw  f         T'  ''  "  »'»''«»  f""-  «>• 
functions.    0„lch„JEL7'?r'r''  "'* -""er  diplomatic 
Prance,  and  fo.ri„l\L"t  ther',    ""'  """  ""="''"'  ^°"^  '^ 
«»  he  approached  th'e  Monal^  'f  P.Tr'-tK  "'*  ""»'' 
foretaste  of  death,  he  exdaS  1!'         "'"■  '  P""'"^"" 
tower.  Of  the  Con  ent,  ''htrshaU  r  ™  T™  '"  "'•"  °'  "" 
The  Abbot  Osbert  and  the  Int  j  2  o  7  '"""^  "'"="•" 
received  hfm  tenderlvr  and  v,Z.,l  J-         °"^''  "'  ^'-  '^'"'"r, 
he  yet  lingered.    ALTol't'  '"  ""'^"'l  '"^  "-«  '■-'"ay' 
David,  tutor  of  the  son  of  K„de:  ^  tith'T""  '°  """"^''^ 
and  awaited  his  return  with  a„,^riT,r*™  '°  "''"'J'' 
factor,  response  from  t  e  ZS'  k" "  an^T?'"  "^  ""'" 
only  remained.    I„  death  as  in  if.  f    1  °  '"''  ''""'<'"' 

country.    "Ah   footohL  !'.        *°°«'"' ™» »"h  I,ia 

hislatTsthour:-  ■^^t  t     rorXr/' ^r^*""-'  '" 
your  miseries  1     Who  will  heal  your'    m  """  '■'"*='™ 

make  his  last  will  he  answe»d      1  recommended  to 

knows  out  of  a  1     y "      'u't  T      ''™'°''°  '■"•P'-''^-"  G-« 

queath."    And  thus  „„  11.^,,  J        ""*  ^""'^^  ™'"  '"'he- 
L.u  mus  on  the  11th  day  of  NovemliBr  lion  ■    .,_ 

48th  year  of  his  age,  under  the  shelter  of  Jv      '  '  '"  "" 

rounded  by  Norman  mourners  t he  rlr      ,  .  ™""  ''°'"'  '"'■ 
parted  out  of  this  life  beoIZl  statesman-saint  de- 

to  Ireland  and  to  Rome""""^  """  "">"  canonized  memory 

The  prospects  of  his  native  land  were  at  tl„t 
cast  which  might  well  disfnrb  ,i      ,  °',at  that  moment,  of  a 

Laurence.    FiU-Alde^,  atated  „  ^    ^  ''  "'.  "'  '''""" 
"77,  had  shown  no  ur™t  T     .    ,  ™""nand  at  Dublin  in 

But  there  ^^ZZTl7T„    '  '""''"'"'  ""  *"  -"'l'-"- 
as  one  among  h,s  follower,  who,  unaffected  by  M, 


POPULAR    HlflTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


191 


ilug^ish  example,  and  undeterred  by  his  jealous  interference, 
resolved  to  push  the  outposts  of  his  race  into  the  heart  of  Ulster. 
This  was  John  de  Conrcy,  Baron  of  Stoke  Courcy,  in  Somerset- 
shire, a  cavalier  of  fabulous  physical  strength,  romantic  courage, 
and  royal  descent.  When  he  declared  his  settled  purpose  to  be 
the  invasion  of  Ulster,  he  found  many  spirits  as  discontented  with 
Fitz-Aldelm's  inaction  as  himself  ready  to  follow  his  banner. 
His  inseparable  brother-in-arms,  Sir  Almaric  of  St.  Laurence,  his 
relative,  Jourdain  de  Courcy,  Sir  Robert  de  la  Poer,  Sir  Geof- 
frey and  Walter  de  Marisco,  and  other  Knights  to  the  number 
of  twenty,  and  five  hundred  men  at  arms,  marched  with  him  out 
of  Dublin.  Hardly  had  they  got  beyond  sight  of  the  city,  when 
they  were  attacked  by  a  native  force,  near  Howth,  where  Saint 
Laurence  laid  in  victory  the  foundation  of  that  title  still  pos- 
sessed by  his  posterity.  On  the  fifth  day,  they  came  by  surprise 
upon  the  famous  ecclesiastical  city  of  Downpatrick,  one  of  the 
first  objects  of  their  adventure.  An  an;  lent  prophecy  had  fore- 
told that  the  place  would  be  taken  by  a  chief  with  birds  upon  his 
shield,  the  bearings  of  de  Courcy,  mounted  on  a  white  horse, 
which  de  Courcy  happened  to  ride.  Thus  the  terrors  of  suf)ersti- 
tion  were  added  to  the  terrors  of  surprise,  and  the  town  'jeing 
entirely  open,  the  Normans  had  only  to  dash  into  the  midst  of  its 
inhahitants.  But  the  free  clansmen  of  Ulidia,  though  surprised, 
were  not  intimidated.  Under  their  lord.  Rory,  son  of  Dunlevy, 
they  rallied  to  expel  the  invader.  Cardinal  Vivian,  the  Papal 
Legate,  who  had  just  arrived  from  Man  and  Scotland,  on  the 
neighboring  coast,  proffered  his  mediation,  and  besought  de 
Courcy  to  withdraw  from  Down.  His  advice  was  peremptorily 
rejected,  and  then  he  exhorted  the  Ulidians  to  flght  bravely  for 
their  rights.  Five  several  battles  are  enumerated  as  being  fought, 
in  this  and  the  following  year,  between  de  Courcy  and  the  men 
of  Down,  Louth,. and  Antrim,  sometimes  with  success,  at  others 
without  it,  always  with  heavy  loss  and  obstinate  resistance. 

The  barony  of  Lecale  in  which  Downpatrick  stands  is  almost 
a  peninsula,  and  the  barony  of  the  Ardes  on  the  opposite  shore 
of  Strangford  Loujrh  is  nearly  insulated  by  Belfast  Lough,  the 
Channel,  and  tlie  .tides  of  8trann;ford.  With  the  active  co-opera- 
Uon  from  the  sea  of  God*  ed.  King  of  Man,  (whose  daughtei 


f^ 

I 

r 

w 

i      " 

: 

1 

' 

' 

1 

\ 


M 


I    ( 


U  I 


192 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


tttr  « tha  Doi  i>  ,  »»«"--wanea  cities.    Hence,  lonff  af- 

h»nrt.  .h.7  .  ^  ""  '""*"'  '"">  "I'ter  were  aU  in  native 

from  Sand  C°M     "/'"?""'  ''"'""™"»-    ««-'»-«' 

StrangjrWh  ^^hiU  t':  r"t"'"'''°*  ■"■"""  '^•"'^"'^  »' 
terior  bv  l.„r    K  ""°"  "*'*°  '"'^""ions  into  the  in- 

.""::;  [  Li;  -f  iis"'::^ "  ,""*  ™"^^"'" "'  -^-^^ 

shore  of  Lough  Ce"'  ""'°'  ""*  ^  "■'  '^<^"' 

Mifod'ecotrirj/Dr"""'"  "-'-^  *"™"'  '»'""«^. 

entered  into  a  secret  engaaenent  with  .lo  n  ^ 

stated  by  fiTtVaZciw^  af  firwf  !  °^"'  '"'^'^'^  ^^""^^  '« 

J'  itiraiaus  at  500  men-at-arms;  and  bv  the  Tii»h  on 

»a hsts  as  "  a  great  army."    With  the  falter  foL  h fief  Dnblin 

but.  marching  through  Meath,  was  Joined  at  Mm  by !„  fro^' 

ttegarnsonsde  Laoy  had  planted  in  Ea3t-Meath     s?,/ 

panied  d,  Cogan  advanced  on  Roscommon  :t:,  he  3^ 

Bigh  on  a  visitation  among  the  glens  of  Connemara     A  (w  ^k 
days  spent  in  Bo.co,n,non,  these  aUies  marchXcrost  h   Pllta 

wlntZhTn  '^I'T'^  '"*  '='"'™»»  ^-™.  burnlngt'i^. 
went  Elphm,  Roskeen,  and  many  other  churches     Thl  „    . 

clansmen  everywhere  fell  back  before  them'driviL  off  th 
herd,  and  destroying  whatever  they  con  d 'no    remo,?  aI 

IZTX::^"''' '" ''"  '•'''''  °' » -"'"™-uho* 

the  south  r;,.r       I  .,  ""  """^  ''"'™'"«  f"-"™  ">«  "»»' and 
toe  south  to  surround  them.    Ihey  at  once  decided  to  retreat. 

an,  no  «me  was  to  be  l„,t,  as  the  Kern  were  already  at  thet 
«istles  m  i«t-Meath,  fled  the  remnant  of  de  Cogan's  inglorion. 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


198 


expedition.  Murray  OOonor  being  taken  prisoner  by  his  own 
kinsmen,  bis  eyes  were  plucked  out  as  the  punishment  of  his 
treason,  and  Conor  Moinmoy,  the  joint-victor,  with  Donald 
O'Brien  over  Strongbow  at  Thurles,  became  the  Roydamna  or 
successor  of  his  father. 

But  fresh  dissensions  soon  broke  out  between  the  sons  and 
grandsons  of  Roderick,  and  the  sons  of  his  brother  Thurlogh, 
in  one  of  whose  deadly  conflicts  sixteen  Princes  of  the  Sll-Mur- 
ray  fell.  Both  sides  looked  beyond  Connaught  for  help ;  one 
drew  friends  from  the  northern  O'Neills,  another  relied  on  the 
aid  of  OBrier«  Conor  Moinmoy,  in  the  year  1186,  according  to 
most  Irish  accounts,  banished  his  father  into  Munster,  but  at 
the  intercession  of  the  Sil-Murray,  his  own  clan,  allowed  him 
again  to  return,  and  assigned  him  a  single  cantred  of  land  for 
his  subsistence.  From  this  date  we  may  count  the  unhappy 
Roderick's  retirement  from  the  world. 

Near  the  junction  of  Lough  Corrib  with  Lough  Mask,  on  the 
boundary  line  between  Mayo  an  I  Galway,  stands  the  ruins  of 
the  once  populous  monastery  and  village  of  Cong.  The  first 
Christian  kings  of  Connaught  had  founded  the  monastery,  or 
enabled  St..  Fechin  to  do  so  by  their  generous  donations.  The 
father  of  Roderick  had  enriched  its  shrine  by  the  gift  of  a 
particle  of  the  true  Cross,  reverently  enshrined  in  a  reliquary, 
the  workmanship  of  which  still  excites  the  admiration  of  the 
antiquaries.  Here  Roderick  retired  in  the  70th  year  of  his  age, 
and  for  twelve  years  thereafter — until  the  29th  day  of  November, 
1198,  here  he  wept  and  prayed,  and  withered  away.  Dead  to 
the  world,  as  the  world  to  him,  the  opening  of  a  new  grave  in 
the  royal  corner  at  Clonmacnoise  was  the  last  incident  connected 
with  his  name,  which  reminded  Connaught  that  it  had  lost  its 
once  pro  sperous  Prince,  and  Ireland,  that  she  had  seen  her  last 
Ard-Righ,  according  to  the  ancient  Milesian  Constitution.  Pow- 
erful Princes  of  his  own  and  other  houses  the  land  was  destined 
to  know  for  many  generations,  before  its  sovereignty  was  merged 
in  that  of  England,  but  none  fully  entitled  to  claim  the  high- 
Bounding,  but  often  fallacious  title,  of  Monarch  of  all  Ireland. 

The  public  character  of  Roderick  O'Conor  has  been  haidly 
dealt  with  by  most  modern  writers.    He  was  not  like  bis  father, 
17 


194 


POPULAR   HISTORr    OF   IRELAND. 


i 


i 


I 


like  Murkertach  O'Brien,  Malachy  II..  Brian,  Murkertach  of  thu 
leathern  cloaks,  or  Malachy  I.,  eminent  as  a  la^vgiver,  a  soldier 
or  a  popular  leader.     He  does  not  appear  to  have  inspired  love' 
or  awe,  or  reverence,  into  those  of  his  own  household  and  patri' 
mony,  not  to  speak  of  his  distant  cotemporaries.    He  was  prob. 
ably  a  man  of  secondary  qualities,  engulped  in  a  crisis  of  the 
first  importance.     But  that  he  is  fairly  chargeable  with  the  sue 
cess  of  the  iuvaders-or  that  there  was  any  very  overwhelmm« 
success   to  bo  charged  up  to  the  time  of  his  enforced  retir^ 
went  from  the  world-we  have  lailod  to  discover.    From  Der- 
mid's  return  until  his  retreat  to  Cong,  seventeen  years   had 
passed  away.     Seventeen  campaigns,  more  or  less  energetic  and 
systematic,  the  Normans  had  fought.     Munster  was  still  in  1185 
—when  John  Lackland  made  his  memorable  exit  and  entrance 
on  thescene-almost  wholly  in  the  hands  of  the  ancient  clan« 
Connaught  was  as  yet  without  a  single  Norman  garrison.     Huah 
de  Lacy  returning  to  the  government  of  Dublin,  in   1179  on 
Pitz-Aldelm's  recall,  was  more  than  \m\i  ffibernicized  by  mar- 
rage  with  one  of  Roderick's  daughters,  and  the  Norman  tide 
stood   still  in  Meath.     Several   strong  fortresses   were  indeed 
erected  m  Desmond  and  Leinster,'  by  John  Lackland  an.l  by  de 
Courcy,  in  his  newly  won  northera  territory.     Ardfinan,  Lisniore 
Leighlin,   Carlow,   Castledermot,   Leix,   Delvin,   Kilkay    May-' 
nooLh  and  Trim,  were  fortified  ;  but  considering  who  theAn^Io- 
Normans  were,  and  what  they  had  done  elsewhere,  even  tirese 
.very  considerable  successes   may  be  corrrectly  accounted   for 
without  overcharging  the  memory  of  Roderick  with  folly  and  in- 
capacity.     That  he  was  personally  brave  has  not  been  ques- 
tioned.    That  he  was  polltic-or  at  least  capable  of  conceiving 
the  politic  views  of  such  a  statesman  as  St.  Laurence  O'TooIe" 
we  may  infer  from  the  rank  of  Chancellor  which  he  conferred' 
and  the  other  negotiations  which  he  entrusted  to  that  great  man' 
That  he  maintained  his  self-respect  as  a  sovereign,  both  in  ab-' 
stainmg  from  visiting  Henry  H.  under  pretence  of  hospitality  at 
Dubhn  and  throughout  all  his  ditiicult  diplomacy  with  the  Nor- 
mans,  we  are  free  to  conclude.     With  the  Normans  for  fous-with 
a  decayed  and  obsolete  national  constitution  to  patch  no-witb 
nominal  subordinates  more  powerful  than  himself-with  rehpliiop 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IKKLAND. 


195 


•taring  him  in  tlie  face  out  of  tiie  eyes  of  his  own  cliildron— 
Rodericlc  O'Conor  had  no  ordinary  part  to  play  in  history.  The 
fierce  family  pride  of  our  fathers  and  the  vices  of  their  political 
Byslera  are  to  be  deplored  and  avoided ;  let  us  riot  make  tije 
last  of  tlieir  national  kings  the  scape-goat  for  all  his  cotempo- 
raries  and  all  his  predecessors. 


•♦• 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ASSASSINATION  OP  HUGH  DB  LAOY  — JOHN  "  LACKLARO"  IN 
IRELAND — VARIOUS  EXPEDITIONS  OF  JOHN  DE  COURCY — DEATH 
OP  COiNOR  MOINMOY,  AND  RISE  OP  CATHAL,  "  THE  RED-UANDED" 
O'COVOR — CLOSE  OF  THE  CAREER  OP  DB  COURC?  AND  DK 
BURGH. 

Hugh  de  Lacy,  restored  to  the  supreme  authority  on  the  re- 
call of  f  ilz-Aldelm  in  1179,  began  to  conceive  hopes,  as  Htrong- 
bow  had  done,  of  carving  out  for  himself  a  new  kingdom.  After 
the  assassination  of  ORuarc,  already  related,  he  assumed  without 
further  parley  the  titles  of  lord  of  Meath  and  Breffni.  To  these 
titles  he  added  that  of  Oriel,  or  Louth,  but  his  real  strength  lay 
in  Meath,  where  his  power  was  enhanced  by  a  politic  second 
marriage  with  Rose,  daughter  of  O'Conor.  Among  the  Irish 
he  now  began  to  be  known  as  King  of  the  foreigners,  and  some 
such  assumption  of  royal  authority  caused  his  recall  for  a  few 
months  in  the  year  1180,  and  his  substitution  by  de  Courcy  and 
Philip  de  Broasa,  in  1184.  But  his  great  qualities  caused  his 
restoration  a  third  time  to  the  rank  of  Justiciary  for  Henry,  or 
Deputy  for  John,  whose  title  of  "Lord  of  Ireland"  was  be 
stowed  by  his  father,  at  a  Parliament  held  at  Oxford,  in  1177. 

This  founder  of  the  Irish  de  Lacys  is  described  by  GirdHus^ 
who  knew  him  personally,  as  a  man  of  Gallic  sobriety,  ambi- 
tious, avaricious,  and  lustful ;  of  small  stature,  and  deformed 
shape,  with  repulsive  features,  and  dark,  deep-set  eyes.  By  tha 
Irish  of  the  midland  districts  he  was  bitterly  detested  as  a  sa- 
crilegious spoiler  of  their  churches  and  monasteries,  and  th« 


190 


POPULAR    HI    rORY    OF    IRELAND. 


most  powerful  among  their  invaders.    The  murder  of  O'Ruarc 
Whose  tatle  of  BrefTni  he  had  usurped,  was  attributed  to  a  deep.' 
aid  design;  he  certainly  shared  the  odium  w.th  the  advantao^ 
tha    ensued  from  it.    Nor  was  his  own  end  unlike  that  ofid 

datiL  oHr'  '''"  '•'"  '''  '""'^^'  ^^  '''''  ^h«-"  the  foun- 
dation    of  the  ancient  an.l  much  venerated  monastery  of  Dur. 

r^v^  planted  l.y  Columbcllle,  seven  centuries  before,  in  the  midst 
of  the  fertile  region,  watered  by  the  Brosna.    This  act  of  pro- 
faulty  was  fated  to  be  his  last,  for,  while  personally  superintend- 
jng   he  work.  O'Meyey,  a  young  man  of  good  birtli,  and  ^^r- 
brothe,  to  a  neighboring  chief  of  Teffla,  known  as  Sionnach,  or 
the  Pox,"  struck  off  his  head  with  a  single  blow  of  l.'s  axe 
and  escaped  into  the  neighboring  forest  of  KiFclare  durin^  the 
confusion  which  ensued.     De  Lacy  left  issue-two  sons,  Su^h 
and  Walter,  by  his  first  wife,  and  a  third,  William  Gorm,  by  his 
second--of  whom,  and  of  their  posterity,  we  shall  have  many 
occasions  to  make  mention. 

In  one  of  the  intervals  of  de  Lacy's  disfavor  Prince  John,  sur- 
named  Sans-terre,  or  "  lack-land,"  was  sent  over  by  his  father 
to  strengthen  the  English  interest  in  Ireland.     He  arrived  in 
Waterford  accompanied  by  a  fleet  of  sixty  ships,  on  the  last  of 
March   II80,  and  remained  in  the  country  till   the  followin.. 
November.    If  anything  could  excuse  the  levity,  folly  and  mis- 
conduct of  the  Prince  on  this  expedition,  it  would  be  his  youth  — 
he  was  then  only  eighteen.    But  Henrv  had  taken  every  pre- 
caution  to  ensure  success  to  his  favo.ite  son.    He  was  preceded 
into  Ireland   by  Archbishop  C,  -.    English  successor 

of  St.  Laurence;   the  learned  Gla-  .  his  legal  adviser; 

John  de  Courcy  was  his  lieutenant,  a:  ^quent,  but  pas- 

sionate  and  partial  Oiraldus  Camhrensu,  .  .  chaplain  and  tutor 
He  had,  however,  other  companions  more  congenial  to  his  age 
and  temper,  young  noblemen  as  froward  and  as  extravagant  as 
himself;  yet  as  he  surpassed  them  all  in  birth  and  rank,  so  he 
did  in  wickedness  and  cruelty  of  disposition.    For  acre  he  had 
no  reverence,  for  virtue  no  esteem,  neither  truth  towards  man 
nor  decency  towards  woman.    On  his  arrival  at  Waterford   the 
now  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  John  de  Courcy,  and  tlie  principal     • 
Norman  nobles,  hastened  to  receive  him.    With  them  O^iBi^als*     ' 


.:i| 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


197 


of  O'Ruarc, 

•d  to  a  deep. 

e  advantaga 

3  that  of  his 

ien  the  fonn- 

ery  of  Dur* 

in  the  midst 

act  of  pro- 

Juperintend- 

and  fosfer- 

'ionnach,  or 

of  liis  axe 

during  the 

sons,  Hugh 

orm,  by  his 

have  many 

John,  sur- 
'  his  father 
arrived  in 
the  last  of 
>  following 
y  and  mis- 
3  youth  ;— 
every  pre- 
I  preceded 

successor 
.1  adviser; 
,  but  pas- 
and  tutor, 
to  his  ago 
i^agant  as 
nk,  so  he 
e  he  had 
rds  man, 
rford,  the 
principal 


I  trtain  Leinster  chiefs,  desiring  to  live  at  peace  with  the  nevr 
(tails.  When,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  the  chiefa 
advanced  to  give  John  the  kiss  of  peace,  their  venerable  ag« 
was  made  a  mockery  by  the  young  Prince,  who  met  their  prof- 
fered salutations  by  plucking  at  their  beards.  This  appears  to 
have  been  as  deadly  an  insult  to  the  Irish  as  it  is  to  the  Asiatics, 
and  the  deeply  offended  guests  instantly  quitted  Waterford,  Other 
lollies  and  excesses  rapidly  transpired,  and  the  native  nobles  began 
to  discover  that  a  royal  army  encumbered,  rather  than  led  by  such 
a  Prince,  was  not  likely  to  prove  itself  invincible.  In  an  idle 
parade  from  the  Suir  to  the  Liffey,  from  the  Liffey  to  the  Boyne, 
and  in  issuing  orders  for  the  erection  of  castles,  (some  of  which 
are  still  correctly  and  others  erroneously  called  King  John's 
Castles,)  the  campaign  months  of  the  year  were  Wasted  by  the 
King  of  England's  son.  One  of  these  castles,  to  which  most 
importance  was  attached,  Ardflnan  on  the  Suir,  was  no  sooner 
built  than  taken  by  Donald  More  O'Brien,  on  midsummer  day, 
when  four  knights  and  its  other  defenders  were  slain.  Another 
was  rising  at  Lismore,  on  the  Blackwater,  under  the  guardian- 
ship of  Robert  Barry,  one  of  the  brood  of  Nesta,  when  it  was 
attacked  and  Barry  slain.  Other  knights  and  castellans  were 
equally  unfortunate ;  Raymond  Fitz-Hugh  fell  at  Leighlin, 
another  Raymond  in  Idrone,  and  Roger  le  Poor  in  Ossory.  In 
Desmond,  Cormac  McCarthy  besieged  Theobald,  ancestor  of  the 
Butlers  in  Cork,  but  this  brave  Prince — the  worthy  compeer  of 
0  Brien — was  cut  off  "  in  a  parlee  by  them  of  Cork."  The  Clan- 
Colman,  or  O'Melaghlins,  had  risen  in  Westmeath  to  reclaim  their 
own,  when  Henry,  not  an  hour  too  soon,  recalled  hia  reckless 
son,  and  entrusted,  for  the  last  time,  the  command  to  Hugh  de 
Lacy,  whose  fate  has  been  already  related. 

In  the  fluctuations  of  the  power  of  the  invaders  after  the 
death  of  de  Lacy,  and  during  the  next  reign  in  England,  one 
steadfast  name  appears  foremost  among  the  adventurers — that  of 
the  gallant  giant,  de  Courcy,  the  conqueror  of  the  Ards  of 
Down.  Not  only  in  prowess,  but  also  in  piety,  he  was  the  model 
of  all  the  knighthood  of  his  time.  We  are  told  that  he  always 
earned  about  his  person  a  copy  of  the  prophecies  attributed  to 
CMpnfibcille,  and  when,  in  the  year  1186,  the  relics  of  the  three 


IDS 


PoroiAn  HiSTORr  or  irbiawd. 


great  saint.,  who,,  dart  mncUfl.,  Downpalrlck,  were  mpposed 
to  bo  d,scovore<l  by  tho  Bishop  of  Down  i„  „  jl,^,  J^"™ 

inr'reirr'T',?  "■"  """■-»"'«""»  a"  suitable  revor. 
&„»„„>  '"' ''°™"°"'  •"•'  Pi'srimageB  did  not  prevent  bira 
from  pushmg  on  the  work  of  conquest  whenever  ocLlon  oir™ 

«pected  death  o'  Donald,  Prince  of  Aileacb,  in  an  encounter 

1188)    The  same  year  he  took  up  the  entorpri.e  niins  Con  ' 

whieh'::„ttf' b  d",""""'"  """  ™  '''""""^  '""'^  -"  ^n^ 
feuds  of  be  O'Conor  family  were  again  the  protect  and  tbo 
Sround  Of  hope  with  the  invaders,  but  Donald  More  XiJ, 

^^ZT  t°  '""  "'"'  ""'  *"""""■  ^'"^  Ws  strong  ut 
Z  n  „  T  *"™''S"'"  ">»  b"""'  of  the  S„ca,near  the  pre,, 
ent  Balimasloe,  and  both  powers  combined  marcl  ed  a»»i„st  d, 

toward,  Sligo,  and  had  reached  Baliysadare,  when  Plabertv 
Lord  of  Tyrconnel  (Donegal),  came  against  them  from  the  onno' 

Byt  lough  the  ruggel  passes  of  the    Curlieu    mountain,  skir- 
m,,h,ng  as  they  went.    The  only  incident,  which  siCL  d    b h 

plunder  of  Armagh ;  to  the  Irish  it  was  crcliiable  for  the  com! 
bma  ,„n,  ,t  occasioned.  It  is  cheering  In  the  annals  of  t"o", 
desultory  wars  to  find  a  national  advantage  gained  by  the  iZt 
ac^on  Of  a  Munster,  a  Connaught,  and  an  Uifter  fora,        '     ' 

0'Bri°en''aro°r'"  ""'""l!'   ""'"'  "'"''  °"'   "^  '"«  ""«"»«  «' 

ch  e  s  of  the  Clan-Colraan,  and  McCarthy,  Prince  of  Desmond 
But  the  assassination  of  Conor  Moinmoy,  by  the  nartizans  of T, 
consms,  extinguished  the  hope,  of  .be';ountrv,rnd  tlep  „ 
Of  h,s  own  province.  The  old  family  feuds  broke  out  with  new 
fury.  In  yarn  the  aged  Roderick  emerged  from  bis  convenr 
and  sought  with  feeble  hand  to  curb  th^  flery  na..i„n.,  of  T 

P«ed  the,r  spiritual  authority.    A  series  of  ftatricil  lit 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


199 


for  which  liistory  has  no  memory  and  no  heart,  were  fo-,Rht  out 
botwoori  tho  wari  i  branches  of  the  family  during  tiio  last  ten  years 
of  tho  century,  until  by  virtue  of  the  strong  arm,  Cathal  Crov^ 
dearg,  son  of  Turlogh  More,  and  younger  brother  of  Roderick, 
assmnotl  the  sovereignty  of  Connaught  about  the  year  1200. 

In  the  twelve  years  which  intervened  between  the  death  of 
Moimnoy  and  the  establishment  of  the  power  of  Cathal  Crov- 
dearg  O'Conor,  the  Normans  had  repeated  opportunities  for  in- 
tervention in  the  affairs  of  Connaught.    William  de  Burgh,  a 
powerful  Baron  of  the  family  of  Fitz-Aldelm,  tho  former  Lord 
Justice,  sided  with  the  opponents  of  Cathal,  while  de  Courcy, 
and  subsequently  the  younger  de  Lacy,  fou-ht  on  his  side. 
Once  at  least  these  restless  Barons  changed  allies,  and  fought  as 
desperately  against  their  former  candidate  for  the  succession  as 
^hey  had  before  fought  for  him.    In  one  of  these  engagemonts,  the 
•date  assigned  to  which  is  the  year  1190,  Sir  Armoric  St.  Lau- 
ronce,  founder  of  the  Howth  family,  at  the  head  of  a  numerous 
d.vision,  is  said  to  have  been  cut  off  with  all  his  troop.    But  the 
forlAino  of  war  frequently  shifted  during  the  contest.    In  the  year 
1199.  Cathal  Crovdearg,  with  his  allies  de  Lacy  and  de  Courcy, 
was    utterly  defeated  at  Kilmacduagh,  in  the  present  county  of 
Galway,  and  were  it  not  that  the  rival  O'Conor  was  sorely  de- 
feated, and  trodden  to  death  in  the  route  which  ensued,  three 
years  later,  Connaught  might  never  have  known  the  vigorous 
administration  of  her  "  red-handed"  hero. 

The  early  career  of  this  able  and  now  triumphant  Prince,  as 
preserved  to  us  by  history  and  tradition,  is  full  of  romantic  inci- 
dents. He  is  said  to  have  been  born  out  of  wedlock,  and  that 
his  mother,  while  pregnant  of  him,  was  subject  to  all  the  cruel 
persecutions  and  magical  torments  the  jealous  wife  of  his  father 
could  invent.  No  sooner  was  he  born  than  ho  became  an  object 
of  hatred  to  the  Queen,  so  that  mother  and  child,  after  being 
concealed  for  three  years  in  the  sanctuaries  of  Connaught,  had 
to  fly  for  their  lives  into  Leinster.  In  this  exile,  though  early 
informed  of  his  origin,  he  was  brought  up  among  the  laborers  in 
the  field  and  was  actually  engaged,  sickle  in  hand,  cutting  the 
harvest,  when  a  travelling  Bollscaire,  or  newsman  from  the  west, 
related  the  events  which  enabled  him  to  return  to  his  native  pro- 


T 


200 


'OPtTlAR    „„TORT    OF    IR.IAND. 


a-a,,  and  re.„„,ed  T    T  c„l  "  17'"';,  *'''' "''  "'«""• 
-labn.ted  I,„„a,d  More  0  uZITa  U     Z'u    ''°'""  "'  "" 

•o  honorably  .striven     ptT  '"■  ""^ '''"  '""■'■lanJ-haa 

Clanrickarda,  did    Wrtjrr  "T:""""'  ""  ''"''-  »' 
with  .he  son.  Of  de  Ly.  ,d  Sf l";    "'  '''""■°^'  -""S 
■a™  of  Tyrone,  .li^ppeara  from  Th  '  !        "°  """'^  "'°  "'«"'" 
b  said  to  have  V^slT^n  ^l^T'^  "'  '™"  °'«'"^-    «» 
prison,  a  victi™   o  the  capri™  or  T  1 '  """^  ^"'"^  "''  "»'"  ■" 
'a.e,  are  toid  of  hi,  ™Se      2^01^';;^ °^"-    ^""^ 
scendants,  the  Barons  Of  Rm«nu    /.     ' '^'''y-     His   indirect  de 
befo.  the  Kin,  In  ^ e^  ^  '  *'l"r/!f""»,"-"»'^"«'» 
represents  him  as  the  chanminn  ^     T.    [  """  '""""*•  >""'=1> 
a  '>an.eo„  to  uphold  bar  hTn'r"     .     ""'""'''•  '="<«"  '"><« 
0.h«r  ..,0,  as  mLthent^aM  r^ri'dir'''  '"'"'""'' 
lioivevar,  in  its  literal  trnfl,    ■  .  "  ""■'""■'  "'I""!' 

-ivantare,  except,  perhatsbvLrT"'  ""  '^'"""^  «»<• 
lion-haarted  Richard  Thorn  he  .t  T'"""-"™"'"'"'  '^ory  of  the 
Ear,  of  Ulster,  craat;d  fori  Cot  ^TlT'''- .  ''"'  ""«  "' 
'^,  b.  royal  patent,  to  WalterrL:rwhrX"t™t 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IHBL  *ND. 


201 


Maufl  brought  it  In  the  year  1261  to  Walter  de  Burgh,  lord  of 
Connaught,  from  wlioao  fourth  female  descendant  it  pasaed  io 
1854.  by  her  marriage  with  Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence,  into  the 
royal  family  of  £ngland. 


»4« 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

EVBKTS     OF     THB     TniBTEENTH     CENTURY- 

CONNAUGHT. 


■THB    NOBMANI     II 


Ireland,  during  the  first  three  quarters  of  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury, produced  fewer  important  events,  and  fewer  great  men, 
than  in  the  thirty  last  years  of  the  century  preceding.  From 
the  side  of  England,  she  was  subjected  to  no  imminent  danger, 
in  all  that  interval.  The  reign  of  John  ending  in  1216,  and 
that  of  Henry  III.  extending  till  1271,  were  fully  occupied  with 
the  insurrections  of  the  Barons,  with  French,  Scotch,  and  Welsh 
wars,  family  feuds,  the  rise  and  fall  of  royal  favorites,  and  all 
those  other  incidents  which  naturally  befal  in  a  state  of  society 
where  the  King  is  weak,  the  aristocracy  strong  and  insolent,  and 
the  commons  disunited  and  despised.  During  this  period  the 
fusion  of  Norman,  Saxon  and  Briton  went  slowly  on,  and  the 
next  age  saw  for  the  first  time  a  populalio;i  which  could  be 
properly  called  English.  "  Do  ycu  take  me  for  an  Englishman  1" 
was  the  last  expression  of  Norman  arrogance  in  the  reign  of 
King  John ;  but  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  through 
the  action  of  commercial  and  political  causes,  saw  a  very  different 
state  of  feeling  growing  up  between  the  descendants  of  the 
races  which  contended  for  mastery  under  Harold  and  William. 
The  strongly  marked  Norman  chai  acterlstics  lingered  in  Ireland 
half  a  century  later,  for  it  is  usually  the  case  that  traits  ol 
caste  survive  longest  in  colonies  and  remote  provinces.  In 
Richard  de  Burgo,  comraonlj/  called  the  Red  Earl  of  Ulster,  all 
the  genius  and  the  vices  of  the  race  of  Rollo  blazed  out  over 
Ireland  for  the  last  time,  and  with  terrible  effect. 

During  the  first  three  quarters  of  the  century,  our  history,  like 


:i 

i 
1 
1 
t 

I  'f 


202 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


that  of  England,  is  the  history  of  a  few  great  houses ;  nation 
there  is,  strictly  speaking,  none.  It  will  le  necessary,  therefore, 
to  group  together  the  acts  of  two  or  three  generations  of 
men  of  the  same  name,  as  the  only  method  of  finding  our  way 
through  the  shifting  scenes  of  this  stormy  period. 

The  power  of  the  great  Connaught  family  of  O'Conor,  sa 
terribly  shaken  by  the  fratricidal  wars  and  unnatural  alliances 
of  the  sons  and  grandsons  of  Roderick,  was  in  great  part  r». 
stored  by  the  ability  and  energy  of  Cathal  Crwdearg.    In  his 
early  struggles  for  power  he  was  greatly  assisted  by  the  anarchy 
which  reigned  among  the  English  nobles.    Mayler  Fitz-Henry, 
the  last  of  Strongbow's  companions,  who  rose  to  such  eminence,' 
being  justiciary  in  the  first  six  years  of  the  century,  was  aided 
by  OConor  to  besiege  William  de  Burgo  in  Limerick,  and  to 
cripple  the  power  of  the  de  Lacy's  in  Meath.    In  the  year  1207, 
John  Gray,  Bishop  of  Norwich,  was  sent  over,  as  more  likely  to 
be  impartial  than  any  ruler  personally  interested  in  the  old  quar- 
rels, but  during  his  firat  term  of  oflice,  the  interdict  with  which 
Innocent  III.  had  smitten  England,  hung  like  an  Egyptian  dark- 
ness over  the  Anglo-Norman  power  in  Ireland.    The  native  Irish, 
however,  were  exempt  from  its  enervating  effects,  and  Cathal 
O'Conor,  by  the  time  King  John  came  orer  in  person— in  the 
year  1210— to  endeavor  to  retrieve  the  English  interest,  had 
waiTed  down  all  his  enemies,  and  was  of  power  sufficient  to  treat 
with  the  English  sovereign  as  independently  as  Roderick  had 
done  with  Henry  II.  thirty-five  years  before.     He  personally 
conferred  with  John  at  Dublin,  as  the  O'Neil  and  other  native 
Princes  did  ;  he  procured  from  the  English  King  the  condemna- 
tion of  John  de  Burgo,  who  had  maintained  his  father's  claims 
on  a  portion  of  Connaught,  and  he  was  formally  recognized, 
according  to  the  approved  forms  of  Norman  diplomacy,  as  seized 
of  the  whole  of  Connaught,  in  his  own  right. 

The  visit  of  King  John,  which  lasted  from  the  20th  of  June 
till  the  25th  of  August,  was  mainly  directed  to  the  reduction  of 
those  intractable  Anglo-Irish  Barons  whom  Fitz-Henry  and  Gray 
had  proved  themselves  unable  to  cope  with.  Of  these  the  de 
Lacys  of  Meath  were  the  most  obnoxious.  They  not  only 
assumed  an  independent  state,  but  had  sheltered  de  Braos,,  Lord 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND, 


203 


of  Brecknock,  one  of  the  recusant  Barons  of  Wales,  and  refused 
to  surrender  him  on  tlie  royal  summons.  To  assert  his  authority 
and  to  strike  terror  into  the  nobles  of  other  possessions,  John 
crossed  the  channel  with  a  prodigious  fleet— in  the  Irish  annals 
said  to  consist  of  700  sail.  He  landed  at  Crook,  reached  Dublin, 
and  prepared  at  once  to  subdue  the  Lacys.  With  his  own  array, 
and  the  co-operation  of  Cathal  OConor,  he  drove  out  Walter  de 
Lacy,  Lord  of  Meath,  who  fled  to  his  brother,  Hugh  de  Lacy, 
_  since  de  Courcy's  disgrace.  Earl  of  Ulster.  From  Meath  into 
Louth  John  pursued  the  brothers,  crossing  the  lough  at  Carling- 
ford  with  his  ships,  which  must  have  coasted  in  his  company. 
From  Carlingford  they  retreated,  and  he  pursued  to  Carrickfer- 
gus,  and  from  that  fortress,  unable  Lo  resist  a  royal  fleet  and 
navy,  they  fled  into  Man  or  Scotland,  ana  thence  escaped  in  dis- 
guise into  France.  With  their  guest  de  Braos,  they  wrought  as 
gardeners  in  the  grounds  of  the  Abbey  of  Saint  Taurin  Evreux, 
until  the  Abbot,  having  discovered  by  their  manners  the  key  to 
their  real  rank,  negotiated  successfully  with  John  for  their  resto- 
ration to  their  estates.  Walter  agreed  to  pay  a  flne  of  2,600 
marks  for  his  lordship  in  Meath,  and  Hugh  4,000  marks  for  his 
possessions  in  Ulster.  Of  de  Braos  we  have  no  particulars  ;  his 
high-spirited  wife  and  children  were  thought  to  have  been 
starved  to  death  by  order  of  the  unforgiving  tyrant  in  one  of  his 
castles.  The  de  Lacys,  on  their  restoration,  were  ^accompanied 
to  Ireland  by  a  nephew  of  tlie  Abbot  of  St.  Taurin,  on  whom 
they  conferred  an  estate  and  the  honor  of  knighthood. 

Tlie  only  other  acts  of  John's  sojourn  in  Ireland,  was  his 
treaty  with  O'Conor,  o.lready  mentioned,  and  the  mapping  out, 
on  papei,  of  the  intended  counties  of  Oriel  (or  Louth),  Meath, 
Dublin,  Kildare,  Kilkenny,  Katherlough  (or  Carlow),  Wexford, 
Waterford,  Cork,  Kerry,  Limerick,  and  Tipperary,  as  the  only 
districts  in  which  those  he  claimed  as  his  subjects  had  any  pos- 
sessions.  He  again  installed  the  Bishop  of  Norwich  as  his 
jiusticiary  or  lieutenant,  who,  three  years  later,  was  succeeded 
by  Henry  de  Londres,  the  next  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  and  he 
again  (A.  D.  1215),  by  Geoffrey  de  Marisco,  the  last  of  John's 
deputies.  In  the  year  1216,  Henry  III.,  an  infant  ten  yri^rs  of  ago, 
succeeded  to  the  English  throne,  and  the  next- dozen  vears  the 


■ii' 


'MM 


'.LI 


f'fff 


mm 


\ 


804 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


i| 


history  of  the  two  islands  is  slight  y  connected,  except  by  the 

fortunes  of  the  family  of  de  Burgh,  Avhose  head,  Hubert  do 

Burgh,  the  Chief    Justiciary,    from    the    accession  of  ihe  new 

King,  until  the  first  third  of  the  century  had  closed,  was  in  reality 

the  Sovereign  of  England.    Among  his  other  titles  he  held  that 

of  Lord  of  Connaught,  which  he  conveyed  to  his  relative,  Rich. 

ard  de  Burgo,  the  son  or  grandson  of  William  Fitz-Aldelm  de 

Burgo,  about  the  year  1225.    And  this  brings  us  to  relate  how 

the  house  of  Clanrickard  rose  upon  the  flank  of  the  house  of  , 

O'Conor,  and  after  holding  an  almost  equal  front  for  two  gene- ' 

rations,  finally  overshadowed  its  more  ancient  rival. 

While  Cathal   Crovdearg  lived,  the  O'Conors  held  their  own, 
and  rather  more  than  their  own,  by  policy  or  arms.    Not  only  did 
his  own  power  suffer  no  diminution,  but  he  more  than  once 
assisted  the  Dalgais  and  the  Eugenians  to  expel  their  invaders 
from  North  and  South  Munster,  and  to  uphold   their  ancient 
rights  and  laws.    During  the  last  years  of  John's  reign  that  Kin^ 
and  his  Barons  were  mutually  too  busy  to  set  aside  the  arrange! 
ment  entered  into  in  1210.    In  the  first  years  of  Henry  it  was 
also  left  undisturbed  by  the  English  court.    In  1221  we  read  thaf 
the  de  Lacys,  remembering,  no  doubt,  the  part  he  had  played 
m  their  expulsion,  endeavored  to  fortify  Athleague  against  him, 
but  the  veteran  King,  crossing  the  Shannon  farther  northward' 
took  them  in  the  rear,  compelled  them  to  make  peace,  and 
broke  down  their  Castle.    This  was  almost  the  last  of  his  victo- 
ries.   In  the  year  1213  we  read  in  the  Annals  of  "an  awful 
and  heavy  shower  which  fell  over  Connaught,"  and  was  held  to 
presage  the  death  of  its  heroic  King.    Feeling  his  hour  had 
come,  this  Prince,  to  whom  are  justly  attributed  the  rare  union 
of  virtues,  ardor  of  mind,  chastity  of  body,  meekness  in  pros- 
perity, fortitude  under  defeat,  prudence  in  civil  business  un- 
daunted bravery  in  battle,  and  a  piety  of  life  beyond  all  his 
cotemporaries- feeling    the   near  approach    of   death  retired 
to  the  Abbey  of  Knockmoy,  which  he  had  founded  and  endowed 
and  there  expired  in  the  Franciscan  habit,  at  an  age  which  must 
have  bordered  on  fourscore.    He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Hugh 
O'Conor,  "  the  hostages  of  Connaught  being  in  his  house"  at  th« 
time  of  his  illustrious  father's  death. 


POPULAR    niSTORT    OF   IRELAND. 


205 


No  sooner  was  Cathal  Crovdearg  deceased  than  Hubert  de 
Burgo  procured  the  grants  of  the  whole  Province,  reserving 
only  five  cantreds  about  Athlone  for  a  royal  garrison  to  be 
made  to  Richard  de  Burgo,  his  nephew.  Richard  had  married 
Hodierna,  granddaughter  to  Cathal,  and  thus  like  all  the  Nor- 
mans, though  totally  against  the  Irish  custom,  claimed  a  part  of 
Connaught  in  right  of  his  wife.  But  in  the  sons  of  Cathal  he 
found  his  equal  both  in  policy  and  arms,  and  with  the  fall  of  his 
uncle  at  the  English  court,  (about  the  year  1233,)  Feidlim 
O'Conor,  tlie  successor  of  Hugh,  taking  advantage  of  the  event, 
made  interest  at  the  Court  of  Henry  III,  sufficient  to  have  his 
overgrown  neighbor  stripped  of  some  of  his  strongholds  by 
royal  order.  The  King  was  so  impressed  with  O'Conor's  rep- 
resentations that  he  wrote  peremptorily  to  Maurice  Fitzgerald, 
second  Lord  Offally,  then  his  deputy,  "  to  root  out  that  barren  tree 
planted  in  Oflfally  by  Hubert  de  Burgh,  in  the  madness  of  his 
power,  and  not  to  suflfer  it  to  shoot  forth."  Five  years  later, 
Feidlim.  in  return,  carried  some  of  his  force,  in  conjunction  with 
the  deputy,  to  Henry's  aid  in  Wales,  though,  as  their  arrival  was 
somewhat  tardy,  Fitzgerald  was  soon  after  dismissed  on  that 
account. 

Richard  de  Burgo  died  in  attendance  on  King  Henry  in  Franco 
(A.  D.  1243),  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Walter  de  Burgo, 
who  continued,  with  varying  fortunes,  the  contest  for  Connaught 
with  Feidlim,  until  the  death  of  the  latter,  in  the  Black  Abbey 
of  Roscommon,  in  the  year  1265.  Hugh  O'Conor,  the  son  and 
successor  of  Feidlim,  continued  the  intrepid  guardian  of  his 
house  and  province  during  the  nine  years  he  survived  his  father. 
In  the  year  1254,  by  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  de  Lacy, 
Earl  of  Ulster,  that  title  had  passed  into  the  family  of  de  Burgh, 
bringing  with  it,  for  the  time,  much  substantial,  though  distant, 
Btrength.  It  was  consider'>d  only  a  secondary  title,  and  as  the 
eldest  son  of  the  first  de  L\cy  remained  Lord  of  Meath,  while 
the  younger  took  de  Courcy's  forfeited  title  of  Ulster,  so,  in  the 
next  generation,  did  the  sons  of  this  Walter  de  Burgh,  until  death 
and  time  reunited  both  titles  in  the  same  person.  Walter  da 
Burgh  died  in  the  year  1271,  in  the  Castle  of  Qalway ;  his  great 
rival,  Feidlim  O'Conor,  in  1274,  was  buried  in  the  Abbey  of  Boyl« 
IS 


:4       , 


m  \ 

'  i 

II 

III 

liiLj 

'^ 

206 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAlsO. 


The  former  IS  styled  King  of  the  English  of  Connaujrht  by  the 
Irish  A.nahsts,  who  also  speak  of  Feidllm  as  "  the  most  triumph- 
ant  and  the  most  feared  (by  the  invaders)  of  any  Kin.  that  lad 
been  -  Con  naught  before  his  time."  The  relative  posiUon  of  the 
Insh  and  Enghsh  m  that  Province,  towards  the  end  of  this  century 

may  be  judged  by  the  fact,  that  of  the  Anglo-Normans  summoned 
b    Edward  I  to  jom  him  in  Scotland  in  1299.  but  two.  Richard  de 
Burgo  and  Piers  de  Bermingham,  Baron  of  Athenry.  had  then 
possessions  m  Connaught.    There  were  Norman  Castles  at  A th- 
lone,  at  A  henry,  at  Gal  way.  and  perhaps  at  other  points ;  but  the 
natives  stm  swayed  supreme  over  the  plains  of  Rathcrogan.  the 
plains  of  Boyle,  the  forests  and  lakes  of  Roscommon,  and  the 
whole  of  lar,  or  West  Connaught.  from  Lough  Corrib   to  the 
ocean  with  the  very  important  exception  of  the  castle,  and  port 
of  Galway.    A  mightier  de  Burgo    than  any   that    had   yet 
appeared  was  to  see  in  his  house,  in  the  year  1286.  "  the  hostages 
of  all  Connaught ;"  but  his  life  and  death  form  a  distinct  epoch 
lu  our  story  and  must  be  treated  separately. 


■  •♦•■ 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BVENT8  OF  THF  THIRTEENTH  CENTURY-THE  NORMANS  IN  MUNSTE, 

AND  LEINSTER, 

We  have  already  told  the  tragic  fate  of  the  two  adventurers-, 
F.tzstepuen  and  de  Cogan-between  whom  the  whole  of  Des- 
mond  was  first  partitioned  by  Kenry  II.     B.it  there  were  not 
wanting  other  claimants,  either  by  original  grant  from  the  crown 
by  mtermarnage  with  Irish  or  Norman-Irish  heiresses,  or  new- 
comers  favorites  of  John  or  of  Henry  TIL,  or  of  their  Ministers. 
enriched  at  the  expense  of  the  native  population.     Th..mas,  third 
son  of  Maurice  Fitzgerald,  claimed  partly  through  his   uncle 
F.tzstephen.  and  partly  through  his  marriage  with  the  daughter 
of  another  early  adventurer.  Sir  William  Morrie,  those  vast  es- 
tates on  which  his  descendants  were  afterwards  known  a.  Earis 
of  Desmond,  the  White  Knight,  the  Knight  of  Glynn  and  thi 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


207 


Knight  of  Kerry.  Robert  de  Carew  and  Patrick  de  Courcy 
claimed  as  heirs  general  to  de  Cogan.  The  de  Mariscoes,  de  Bar* 
ris,  and  le  Peers  were  not  extinct ;  and  finally  Edward  I.,  soon 
after  his  accession,  granted  the  whole  land  of  Thomond-to  Thomas 
de  Clare,  son  of  the  Earl  of  Gloucester,  and  son-in-law  of  Mau- 
rice, third  Baron  of  Offally.  A  contest  very  similar  to  that 
which  was  waged  in  Connaught  between  the  O'Conors  and  de 
Burghs  was  consequently  going  on  in  Munster  at  the  same  time, 
between  the  old  inhabitants  and  the  new  claimants,  of  all  the 
three  classes  just  indicated. 

The  principality  of  Desmond,  containing  angles  of  Waterford 
and  Tipperary,  with  all  Cork  and  Kerry,  seemed  at  the  beginning 
of  the  thirteenth  century  in  greatest  danger  of  conquest.  The 
O'Callaghans,  Lords  of  Cinel-Aedha,  in  the  south  of  Cork,  were 
driven  hito  the  mountains  of  Duhallow,  where  they  rallied  and 
held  their  ground  for  four  centuries ;  the  O'SuUivans,  originally 
settled  along  the  Suir,  about  Clonmel,  were  forced  towards  the 
mountain  seacoast  of  Cork  and  Kerry,  where  they  acquired  new 
vigor  in  the  less  fertile  soil  of  Beare  and  Bantry.  The  native 
families  of  the  Desies,  from  their  proximity  to  the  port  of  Water- 
ford,  were  harassed  and  overrun,  and  the  ports  of  Dungarvan, 
Youghal  and  Cork,  being  also  taken  and  garrisoned  by  the  founder 
of  the  earldom  of  Desmond,  easy  entrance  and  egress  by  sea 
could  always  be  obtained  for  his  allies,  auxiliaries  and  supplies. 
It  was  when  these  dangers  were  darkening  and  menacing  on 
every  side  that  the  family  of  McCarthy,  under  a  succession  of 
able  and  vigorous  chiefs,  proved  themselves  worthy  of  the  head- 
ihip  of  the  Eugenian  race.  Oormac  McCarthy,  who  had  ex- 
pelled the  first  garrison  from  "Waterford,  ere  he  fell  in  a  parley 
before  Cork,  had  defeated  the  first  enterprises  of  Fitzstephen  and 
de  Cogan ;  he  left  a  worthy  pon  in  Donald  na  Curra,  who,  uniting 
his  own  co-relations,  and  acting  in  conjunction  with  O'Brien  and 
O'Conor,  retarded  by  his  many  exploits  the  progress  of  the  in- 
vasion in  Munster.  He  recovered  Cork,  and  razed  King  John's 
casile  at  Knockgraflfon  on  the  Suir.  He  left  two  surviving  sons, 
■of  whom  the  eldest,  Donald  Gott,  or  the  Stammerer,  took  the 
title  of  More,  or  Great,  and  his  posterity  remained  i  rinces  of 
Desmond,  until  that  title  merged  in  the  earldom  of  Glencara 


.ii}| 


jig 

;■ 
I'M 

I 

''■ 


208 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRBLAND. 


CA.  D.   1565) ;    the  other,  Cormac,  after  taking  his   brothei 
prisoner  compelled  him  to  acknowledge  hira  as  lord  of  the  four 
baron.es  of  Cai-bury.    From  this  Cormac  the  family  of  McCarthy 
Reagh  descended    and   U>  them  the  O'Driscolls.  O'Donovans, 
0  Mahonys.  and  other  Eugenian  houses  became  tributary     The 
chief  residence  of  McCarthy  Reagh  was  long  fixed   at  Dun, 
man  way :  h.s  castles  were  also  at  Baltimore,  Castlehaven,  Lou^h- 
/o^t^  J"   '"'^■^^^'•^''^  «"d  Clear  Island.     The  power^f 
_icCarthy  More  extended  at  its  greatest  reach  from  Tralee  in 
Kerry  to  Lismore  in  Waterford.     In   the  year  1229    Dermid 
McCarthy  had  peaceable  possession  of  Cork,  and  founded  the  Fran- 
cjscan  Monastery  there.     Such  was  his  power,  that,  according  to 
Hamner  and  h,s  authorities,  the  Geraldines  "dare  not  for  twelve 
years  put  plough  into  the  ground  in  Desmond."    At  last,  another 
generation  rose,  and  fierce  family  feuds  broke  out  between  the 
branches  o  the  family.    The  Lord  of  Carbury  now  was  Fineen,  or 
Florence,  the  most  celebrated  man  of  his  name,  and  one  whose 
power  naturally  encroached  upon  the  possession  of  the  elder 
house.    John,  son  of  Thomas  Fitzgerald  of  Desmond,  seized  the 
occasion  to  make  good  the  enormous  pretension  of  his  family     In 
he  expedition  which  he  undertook  for  this  purpose,  in  the  year 
1260,  he  was  joined  by  the  Justiciary,  William  Dene,  by  Waltet 
de  Burgo  Eari  of  Ulster,  by  Walter  de  Riddlesford,  Baron  of 

S7wfTt ""'''''''''"' ''^'°^^'^«^^"«««f  McCarthy.   . 
The  Lord  of  Carbury  united  under  his  standard  the  chief  Eu^e- 

man  famihes,  not  only  of  the  Coast,  but  even  of  McCarthy  More's 

pnn.  oality,  and  the  battle  was  fought  with  great  ferocity  at 

^e'n^l  ?."' "'''  ^'°"'''''  ^"  '^""^-    ^'^^^^  ''''  Anglo-Normans 
received  the  most  complete  defeat  they  had  yet  experienced  on 
Irish  ground.    John  Fitz-Thomas,  his  son  Maurice,  eight  barons 
fifteen  knights^and"  countless  numbers  of  common  sobers  Ze 
slam       The  Monastery  of  Tralee  received  the  dead  body  of  its 
founder  and  his  son.  while  Florence  McCarthy,  following  up  his 
blow,    captured  and  broke  down  in  swift  succession  all    tl^ 
English  castles  m  his  neighboriiood,  including  those  of  Macroom 
^ZTJlL  r"'"'  and  Killorglin.    In  besieging  one  of  these 
castles,  called  Rmgrone.  the  victorious  chief,  in  the  full  tide  of 
conquest,  was  cut  off,  and  his  brother,  called  the  Afhcleireach 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND, 


209 


'or  suspended  priest),  succeeded  to  his  possessions.  The  death 
Bf  the  victor  arrested  the  panic  of  the  defeat,  but  Munster  saw 
another  generation  before  her  invaders  had  shaken  off  the  de« 
pression  of  the  battle  of  Callan-glen. 

Before  the  English  interest  had  received  this  severe  blow  in 
the  south,  a  series  of  events  had  transpired  in  Leinster  going  to 
Bhow  that  its  aspiring  barons  had  been  seized  with  the  madness 
which  precedes  destruction.  William,  Earl  Marshal  and  Pro- 
tector of  England  during  the  minority  of  Henry  III.,  had  mar- 
ried Isabella,  the  daughter  of  Strongbow  and  granddaughter  of 
Derraid,  through  whom  he  assumed  the  title  of  Lord  of  Leinster. 
He  procured  the  oflBce  of  Earl  Marshal  of  Ireland — originally 
conferred  on  the  first  de  Lacy — for  his  own  nephew,  and  thus 
converted  the  de  Lacys  into  mortal  enemies.  His  son  and  suc- 
cessor Richard,  having  made  himself  obnoxious,  soon  after  his 
accession  to  that  title,  to  the  young  King,  or  to  Hubert  de  Burgh, 
was  outlawed,  and  letters  were  despatched  to  the  Justiciary, 
Fitzgerald,  to  de  Burgo,  de  Lacy,  and  other  Anglo-Irish  lords, 
if  he  landed  in  Ireland,  to  seize  his  person,  alive  or  dead,  and 
send  it  to  England.  Strong  in  his  estates  and  alliances,  the 
young  Earl  came ;  while  his  enemies  employed  the  wily  GeoflP- 
rey  de  Mountmorres  to  entrap  him  into  a  conference,  in  order  to 
his  destruction.  The  meeting  was  appointed  for  the  first  day  of 
April,  1234,  and  while  the  outlawed  Earl  was  conversing  with 
those  who  had  invited  him,  an  affray  began  among  their  ser- 
vants by  design,  he  himself  was  mortally  wounded  and  carried 
to  one  of  Fitzgerald's  castles,  where  he  died.  He  was  succeeded 
in  his  Irish  honors  by  three  of  his  brothers,  who  all  died  without 
heirs  male.  Ansehne,  the  last  Earl  Marshal  of  his  family,  dy- 
ing in  1246,  left  five  co-heiresses,  Maud,  Joan,  Isabel,  Sybil,  and 
Eva,  between  whom  the  Irish  estates — or  such  portions  of 
them  in  actual  possession — were  divided.  They  married  re- 
spectively the  Earls  of  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Gloucester,  Ferrers, 
and  Braos,  or  Bruce,  Lord  of  Brecknock,  in  whose  families, 
for  another  century  or  more,  the  secondary  titles  were  Cather- 
logh,  Kildare,  Wexford,  Kilkenny,  and  Leix,— those  fine  dis- 
tricts being  supposed,  most  absurdly,  to  have  come  into  the 
Marshal  family,  from  the  daughter  of  Stronghow.    The  false 


/ 


210 


POPULAR    HISTOKY    OF    IRELAND. 


if     i 


knights   and  dishonored  nobles  concerned  in   the  murder  of 
Richard  Marshal  wore  disappointed  of  the  prey  which  had  been 
promised  them-the  partition  of  his  estates.    And  such  was  the 
horror  which  the  deed  excited  in  England,  that  it  hastened  the 
fall  of  Hubert  de  Burgh,  though  Maurice  Fitzgerald,  of  Offally 
-ancestor  of  the  Kildare  family-having  cleared  himself  of  all 
complicity  in  it  by  oath— was  continued  as  Justiciary  for  ten 
years  longer.    In  the  year  1246,  for  his  tardiness  in  joining  the 
King's  army  in  Wales,  he  was  succeeded  by  the  false-helrted 
Geoffrey  de  Mountraorres,  who  held  the  office  till  1247.    During 
the  next  twenty-five  years,  about  half  as  many  Justices  were 
placed  and  displaced,  according  to  the  whim  of  the  successive 
favorites  at  the  English  Court.    In  1262,  Prince  Edward  after- 
wards Edward  I.,  was  appointed  with  the  title  of  Lord  Lieuten- 
ant,  but  never  came  over.    Nor  is  there  in  the  series  of  rulers 
we  have  numbered,  with,  perhaps,  two  exceptions,  any  who  have 
rendered  their  names  memorable  by  great  exploits,  or  lastincr 
legislation.     So  little  inherent  power  had  the  incumbents  of  the 
highest  office-uuless  when  they  employed   their  own  proper 
forces  m  their  sovereign's  name  -tliat  we  read  without  surprise 
how  the  bold  mountaineers  of  Wicklow  at  the  opening  of  the 
century  (A.D.  1209;  slaughtered  the  Bristolians  of  Dublin  en- 
gaged  at  their  archery  in  Cullenswood,  and  at  the  close  of  it, 
how  "  one  of  the  Kavanaghs,  of  the  blood  of  McMurrogh,  living  ■ 
at  Leinster,"  "  displayed  his  standards  within  sight  of  the  city." 
Yet  this  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  a  country  overrun  by  a  few 
score  Norman  Knights,  in  a  couple  of  campaigns  I 

The  maintenance  of  the  conquest  was  in  these  years  less  the 
work  of  the  King's  Justices  than  of  the  great  houses.  Of  tfiese 
two  principally,  profitted,  by  the  untimely  felling  of  that  great 
tree  which  overshadowed  all  others  in  Leinster,  the  Marshals. 
The  descendants  of  the  eldest  son  of  Maurice  Fitzgerald  clung 
to  their  Leinster  possessions,  while  their  equally  vigorous  cou- 
sins pushed  their  fortunes  in  Desmond.  Maurice,  grandson  of 
Maurice,  and  second  Baron  of  Offally,  from  the  year  1229  to  the 
year  1246,  was  three  times  Lord  Justice.  '-He  was  a  valiant 
Knight,  a  very  pleasant  man,  and  inferior  to  none  in  the  king- 
dom," by  Matthew  Paris's  account.    He  introduced  the  Francis- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


211 


f»n  and  Dominican  orders  into  Ireland,  built  many  castles 
churches,  and  abbeys  at  Youghal,  at  Sligo,  at  Armagh,  at  May- 
nooth,  and  in  other  places.  In  the  year  1257,  he  was  wounded 
in  single  combat  by  O'Donnell,  Lord  of  Tyrconnell,  near  Sligo, 
and  died  soon  after  in  the  Franciscan  habit  in  Youghal.  He 
left  his  successor  so  powerful,  that  in  the  year  1264,  there  being 
a  feud  between  the  Geraldines  and  de  Burghs,  he  seized  the 
Lord  Justice  and  the  whole  de  Burgh  party  at  a  conference  at 
Castledf rmot,  and  carr  ed  them  to  his  own  castles  of  Lea  and 
Dunamase  as  prisoners.  In  1272,  on  the  accidental  death  of  the 
Lord  Justice  Audley  by  a  fall  from  his  horse,  the  council" 
elected  this  the  third  Baron  of  Offally  in  his  stead. 

The  family  of  Butler  were  of  slower  growth,  but  of  equal 
tenacity  with  the  Geraldines.  They  first  seem  to  have  attached 
themselves  to  the  Marshals,  for  whom  they  were  indebted  for 
their  first  holding  in  Kilkenny.  At  the  Conference  of  Castle- 
dermot  Theobald  Butler,  the  fourth  in  descent  from  the  founder 
of  the  house,  was  numbered  among  the  adherents  of  de  Burgh, 
but  a  few  years  later  we  find  him  the  ally  of  the  Geraldines  in 
the  invasion  of  Thomond.  In  the  year  1247,  the  title  of  Lord  of 
Carrick  had  been  conferred  on  him,  which  in  1316  was  converted 
into  Earl  of  Carrick,  and  this  again  into  that  of  Ormond.  The 
Butlers  of  this  house,  when  they  had  attained  their  growth  of 
power,  became  the  hereditary  rivals  of  the  Kildare  Geraldines, 
whose  earldom  dates  from  1316,  as  that  of  Ormond  does  from 
1328,  and  Desmond  from  1329. 

The  name  of  Maurice,  the  third  Baron  of  Offally,  and  uncle 
of  John,  the  first  Earl  of  Kildare,  draws  our  attention  naturally 
to  the  last  enterprize  of  his  life— the  attempt  to  establish  his 
Bon-in-law,  Thomas  de  Cla-e,  in  possession  of  Tl^omond.  The 
de  Clares,  Earls  of  Gloucester,  pretended  a  grant  from  Henry 
IL  of  the  whole  of  Thomond,  as  their  title  to  invade  that 
principality  ;  but  their  real  grant  was  bestowed  by  Edward  I., 
in  the  year  1275.  The  state  of  the  renowned  patrimony  of 
Brian  had  loLg  seemed  to  invite  such  an  aggiession.  Murtogh, 
son  of  Donnell  More,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  1194,  had  early 
signalized  himself  by  capturing  the  castles  of  Bi.r,  Kinnetty, 
Ballyroaue  and  Lothra,  in  Leix,  and  razing  them  to  the  ground. 


.'1? 


212 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


11 


w 


But  these  castles  were  reconstructed  in  1218,  when  the  feuds 
between  the  rival  O'Briens— Murtogh  and  Donogh  Cairbrtv-had 
paralyzed  the  defence  force  of  Thomond.    It  was,  doubtless,  in 
the  true  divide-and-coiiquer  spirit,  that  Henry  the  Third's  ad- 
visers confirmed  to  Donogh  the  lordship  of  Thomond  in  ^220, 
leaving  to  his  elder  brother  the  comparatively  barren  title  of 
King  of  Munster.    Both  brothers,  by  alternately  working  on 
their  hopes  and  fears,  were  thus  for  many  years  kept  in  a  stat« 
of  dependence  on  the  foreigner.     One  gleam  of  patriotic  virtue 
illumines  the  annals  of  the  house  of  O'Brien,  during  the  first 
forty  years  of  the  century— when,  in  the  year  1226,  Donogh 
Cairbre  assisted  FelimO'Conor  to  resist  the  Anglo-Norman  army 
then   pouring  over  Connaught,  in  the  quairel   of  de  Burgh! 
Conor,  the  son  of  Donogh,  who  succeeded  his  fatlier  in  the  year 
1242,  animated  by  the  example  of  his  cotemporaiies,  made  suc- 
c«?88ful  war  against  the  invaders  of  his  Province,  more  especially 
in  ihe  year  1257,  and  the  next  year;  attended  with  Q-Conor  the 
meeting  at  Beleek,  on  the  Erne,  where  Brian  O'Neil  was  ac- 
knowledged,  by  both  the  Munster  and  the  Connaught  Prince,  as 
Ard-Righ.    The  untimely  end  of  this  attempt  at  national  union 
will  be  hereafter  related  ;  meantime,  we  proceed  to  mention  that, 
in  1260,  the  Lord  of  Thomond  defeated  the  Geraldines  and  their 
Welsh  auxiliaries,  at  Kilbarran,  in  Clare.     He  was  succeeded 
the  following  season  by  his  son,  Brian  Roe,  in  whose  time  Thomas 
de  Clare  again  put  to  the  tep*.  of  battle  his  pretensions  to  the 
lordship  of  Thomond. 

It  was  in  the  year  1277,  that  supported  by  his  father-in- 
law,  the  Kildare  Fitzgerald,  de  Clare  marched  into  Munster, 
and  sought  an  interview  wifh  the  O'Brien.    The  relation  of 
gosalp,  accounted    sacred  rxmong  the  Irish,   existed  between 
them,  but  Brien  Hoe,  having  placed  himself  credulously  in  the 
hands  of  his  invaders,  was  cruelly  dr.'wn  to  pieces  between  two 
horses.    All  Thomond  rose  in  arms,  under  Donogh,  son  of  Brian, 
to  revenge  this  infamous  murder.    Near  Ennis  the  Normans  met 
a  terrible  defeat,  from  which  de  Clare  and  Fitzgerald  fled  for 
safety  into  the  neighboring  Church   of   Quir.    But    Donogh 
O'Brien  burned  the  Church  over  their  heads,  and  forced  them 
k)  surrender  at  discretion.    Strai  ^e  to  say  ttey  were  held  to 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


213 


ransoms  on  conditions,  we  may  suppose,  sufficiently  hard.  Other 
days  of  blood  were  yet  to  decide  the  claims  of  the  family  of  de 
Clare.  In  1207,  Turlogh,  then  the  O'Brien,  defeated  an  invasion 
similar  to  the  last,  in  Which  Thomas  de  Clare  was  slain,  together 
with  Patrick  Fiizmanrice  of  Kerry,  Richard  Taafe,  Richard 
Deriter,  Nicholas  Teeling,  and  other  knights,  and  Gerald,  the 
fourth  Baron  of  Offally,  brother-in-law  to  de  Clare,  was  mor- 
tally wounded.  After  another  interval,  Gilbert  de  Clare,  son  of 
Thon^as,  renewed  the  contest,  which  he  bequeathed  to  his  brother 
Richard.  This  Richard,  whose  name  figures  more  than  his 
brother  in  the  events  of  his  time,  made  a  last  effort,  in  the  year 
1318,  to  make  good  the  claims  of  his  family.  On  the  6th  of 
May,  in  that  year  he  fell  in  battle  against  McCarthy  ancTO'Brien, 
and  there  fell  with  him  Sir  Thomas  de  Naas,  Sir  Henry  Capell, 
Sir  James  and  Sir  John  Caunton,  with  four  other  knights  and  a 
proportion  of  men-at-arms.  From  thenceforth  that  proud  off- 
shoot of  the  house  of  Gloucester,  which,  at  its  first  settling  in 
Munster,  flourished  as  bravely  as  the  Qeraldines  themselves, 
became  extinct  in  the  land. 

S .  ch  were  the  varying  fortunes  of  the  two  races  in  Leinster 
and  Munster,  and  such  the  mer  who  rose  and  fell.  We  must 
now  turn  to  the  contest  as  maintained  at  the  same  period  in 
Meatb  and  Ulster. 


-•♦^ 


CHAPTER  X. 


EVENTS  OP  THB  THIRTEENTH  CEKTCRT- 

AND  DliSTER. 


-THE  NORMANS  IN  MZATB 


We  may  estimate  the  power  of  the  de  Lacy  family  in  the 
second  generation,  trom  thQ  fact  that  their  expulsion  required  a 
royal  army  and  navy,  commanded  by  the  King  in  person,  to  come 
from  England.  Although  pardoned  by  John,  the  brothers  took 
care  never  to  place  themselves  *n  that  cowardly  tyrant's  power, 
and  they  observed  the  same  precaution  on  the  accession  of  his 
son,  until  well  assured  that  he  did  not  share  the  antipathy  of  hie 


214 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRKLAND. 


father.  After  their  roaloratioii  the  Lacys  had  no  riTnls  amonij 
the  Norman  frish  except  the  Marshal  family,  and  though  both 
houses  in  half  a  century  becnms  extinct,  not  ho  those  they  had 
I)lantecl,  or  patronized,  or  who  claimed  from  them  collaterally. 
In  Meath  the  TuitcH,  Cusacks,  FlominiJiH,  Daltons,  Petits,  IIub. 
seys,  Nanglea,  Tyrrells,  Nngenta,  Verdons,  and  Oennevilles, 
struck  deep  into  the  sod.  The  co-heiresses,  Margaret  and  Ma- 
tilda de  Lacy,  married  Lord  Theobald  de  Verdon  and  Sir 
Geoffrey  de  Genneville,  between  whom  the  estate  of  their  father 
was  divided ;  both  those  ladies  dying  without  male  issue,  tlie 
lordship  was,  in  1286,  claimed  by  Richard  de  Burgo,  Earl  of 
Ulster,  whose  mother  was  their  cousin-gormain.  But  we  are 
anticipattng  time. 

No  po!tioii  of  the  island,  if  we  except,  perhaps,  Wexford  and 
the  shores  of  Strang  ford   Lough,  was  so  thoroughly  castel  late  I 
as  the  ancient  Meath  from  the  sea  to  the  Shannon.     Trim,  Kells, 
and   Durrow  were  the  strongest  holds;    there   were  keeps  or 
castles  at  Ardhraccan,  Slane,  Ralhwyre,  Navan,  Skreen,  Santry, 
Clontarf,  and  Castleknock — for  even  these  places,  almost  within 
sight  of  Dublin,  were  included  in  de  Lacy'a'original  grant.  None 
of  these  fortresses  could  have  been  more  than  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  next,  and  once  within  their  thick-ribbed  walla,  the 
Norman,  Saxon,  Cambrian,  or  Danish  serf  or  tenant  might  laugh 
at  the  Milesian  arrows  and  battle-axes  without.    With  these  for- 
tresses, and  their  own  half-Irish  origin  and  policy,  the  de  Lacya, 
father  and  son,  held  Meath  for  two  generations  in  general  subjec- 
tion.   But  the  banishment  of  the  brothers  in  1210,  and  the  death 
of  Walter  of  Meath,  presented  the  family  of  O'Melaghlin  and 
the  whole  of  the  Methian  tribes  with  opportunities  of  insurrec- 
tion not  to  be  neglected.     We  read,  therefore,  under  the  years 
1211,  12  and  13,  that  Art  O'Melaghlin  and  Cormac,   his  son, 
took  the  castles  of  Killclane,  Ardinurcher,  Athboy,and  Smerhie, 
killing  kniglits  and   wardens,   and  enriching  themselves  with 
booty ;  that  the  whole  English  of  Ireland  turned  out  en  massa 
to  the  rescue  of  their  brethren  in  Mt>aLh ;  that  the  castles  of 
Birr,  Durrow,  and  Kinnetty  were  strengthened  against  Art,  and 
a  new  one  erected  at  Clonmacnoise.     After  ten  years  of  exile, 
the  banished  do  Lacys  returned,  and  by  alliance  with  0  Neil,  n« 


POPULAR    H18T0RV    OF    IRKLAND. 


SIS 


1m8  thni  their  own  prowena,  recovered  all  their  formet  influence. 
Cormac,  son  of  Art,  left  a  8on  and  fluccessor  also  named  Art, 
who,  we  read  at  the  year  1204,  Have  the  English  of  Mcath  a 
threat  defeat  upon  tlio  Brosna,  where  he  that  was  not  hlnin  wan 
drowned.  Followiiiij  the  blow,  ho  burned  their  villajioH  and 
broke  the  castles  of  tlio  atranjfer  throughout  Devlin,  Calry,  and 
Brawny, -and  replaced  in  j»ower  over  them  the  McCogldans,  Ma- 
gawloya,  and  O'Droens,  from  whom  he  took  hostages,  according 
to  ancient  custom.  Two  yenrw  afterwards  he  repulsed  Walter  da 
Burgh  at  Shannon  harbor,  driving  his  men  into  the  river,  where 
many  of  them  perished.  At  his  death  (A.  D.  1288)  he  is  eulo- 
gized for  having  destroyed  seven-and-twenty  English  castles  in 
his  lifetime.  From  these  exploits  he  was  called  Art  na  Caislean> 
a  remarkable  distinction  when  we  remember  that  the  Irish 
were,  up  to  this  time,  wholly  unskilled  in  besieging  such  strong- 
lioMs  as  the  Norman  engineers  knew  so  well  how  to  construct. 
His  only  rival  in  Meath  in  such  merito'-ious  works  of  destntction 
was  Conor,  son  of  Donnoll,  and  O'Melaghlln  of  East-Mcalh,  or 
Bregia,  whose  death  is  recorded  at  the  year  1277,  "  as  one  of 
the  three  men  in  Ireland"  whom  the  midland  English  most 
feared. 

From  the  ancient  mensal  the  transition  is  easy  to  the  north. 
The  border-land  of  Breffni,  whose  chief  was  the  first  of  the  na- 
tive nobles  that  perished  by  N<>rman  perfidy,  was  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  century  swayed  by  Ulgarg  O'Rourke.  Of  UIgarg 
we  know  little,  save  that  in  the  year  1231  ho  "  died  oi'  his  way 
to  the  river  Jordan' — a  not  uncommon  pilgrimage  witlv  the  Irish 
of  those  days.  Nial,  son  of  Congal,  succeeded,  and  about  the 
middle  of  the  century  we  find  Breffni  divided  into  two  lordships, 
from  the  mountain  of  Slieve-an-eiran  eastward,  or  Cavan,  being 
given  to  Art,  son  of  Cathal,  and  from  the  mountain  westward, 
or  Leitrim,  to  Donnell,  son  of  Conor,  son  of  Tiernan,  de  Lacy's 
■victim.  This  subdivision  conduced  neither  to  the  streiigthening 
of  its  defenders  nor  to  the  satisfaction  of  O'Conor,  under  whose 
auspices  it  was  made.  Family  feuds  and  household  treasons 
were  its  natural  results  for  two  or  three  generations;  in  the 
midst  of  these  broils  two  neighboring  families  rose  into  greater 
Importance,  the  OReillys  in  Cavan  and  the  Maguires  in  Ferman' 


III 


'  -v 


1 

1   ' 

fill' 
i  i 

j  J 

\  'flK 

iSBj^Bv 

km 

216 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


agh.  Still, strong  in  their  lake  and  mountain  region,  the  tribei 
of  Breffni  were  comparatively  unmolested  by  foreign  enemies, 
while  the  stress  of  the  northern  battle  fell  upon  the  men  of  Tyr- 
connell  and  Tyrone,  of  Oriel  and  of  the  coast  country,  from  Car- 
lingford  to  the  Causeway. 

The  borders  of  Tyrconnell  and  Tyrone,  like  every  other  tribe- 
land,  were  frequently  enlarged  or  contracted,  according  to  the 
vigor  or  weakness  of  their  chiefs  or  neighbors.  In  the  age  of 
which  we  now  speak,  Tyrconnell  extended  from  the  Erne  to  the 
Foyle,  and  Tyrone  from  the  Foyle  to  Lough  Neagh,  with  the 
exception  of  the  extreme  north  of  Derry  and  Antrim,  which  be- 
longed to  the  O'Kanes.  It  was  not  till  the  fourteenth  century 
that  the  O'Neils  spread  their  power  east  of  Lough  Neagh,  over 
those  baronies  of  Antrim  long  known  as  north  and  south  Clan- 
Huqh-Buidhe,  (Clandeboy.)  North  Antrim  was  still  known  aa 
Dalriada,  and  South  Antrim  and  Down,  as  Ulidia.  Oriel,  which 
has  been  usually  spoken  of  in  this  history  as  Louth,  included 
angles  of  Monaghan  and  Armagh,  and  was  anciently  the  most 
extensive  lordship  in  Ulster.  The  chieftain  families  ot  Tyrconnell 
were  the  ODonnells  ;  of  Tyrone,  the  O'Neils  and  McLaughlins; 
of  Dalriada,  O'Kanes,  O'Haras  and  O'Shields;  of  Ulidia,  the 
Magennis  of  Iveagh  and  the  Donlcvys  of  Down ;  of  Oriel,  the 
McMahons  and  O'Hanlons.  Among  these  p*  pulous  tribes  the 
invaders  dealt  some  of  their  fiercest  blows,  both  by  land  and 
sea,  in  the  thirteenth  century.  But  the  north  vas  fortunate  in 
its  chiefs ;  they  may  fairly  contest  the  laurel  with  the  O'Conors, 
O'Briens  and  McCarthys  of  the  west  and  south. 

In  the  first  third  of  the  century,  Hugh  O'Neil,  who  succeeded 
to  the  lordship  of  Tyrone  in  1198,  and  died  in  1230,  was  cotem- 
porary  with  Donnell  More  O'Donnell,  who,  succee  Jing  to  the 
lordship  of  Tyrconnell  in  1208,  died  in  1241,  after  an  equally 
long  and  almost  equally  distinguished  career.  Melaghlin 
O'Donnell  succeeded  Donnell  More  from  '41  to  '47,  Godfrey  from 
'48  to  '67,  and  Donnell  Oge  from  1257  to  1281,  when  he  was 
slain  in  battle.  Hugh  O'Neil  was  succeeded  in  Tyrone  by  Donnell 
McLaughlin,  of  the  rival  branch  of  the  same  stock,  who  in  1241 
was  subdued  by  O'Donnell,  and  the  ascendancy  of  the  family  ol 
O'Neil  established  in  the  person  of  Brian,  afterwards  choset 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


217 


Ring  of  Ireland,  and  slain  at  Down.  Hugh  Boy,  or  the  Swarthy, 
was  elected  O'Neil  on  Brian's  death,  and  ruled  till  the  year  1283, 
when  he  was  slain  in  battle,  as  was  his  next  successor,  Brian, 
in  the  year  1295.  Tliese  names  and  dates  are  worthy  to  be  borne 
in  mind,  because  on  these  two  great  houses  mainly  devolved 
the  brunt  of  battle  in  their  own  province. 

These  northern  chiefs  had  two  frontiers  to  guard  or  to  assail : 
the  north-eastern,  extending  from  the  glens  of  Antrim  to  the 
hills  of  Mourne,  and  the  southern  stretching  from  sea  t^*ea, 
from  Newry'to  Sligo.  This  country  was  very  assailable  by  sea ;  to 
those  whose  castles  commanded  its  harbors  and  rivers,  the  fleets 
of  Bristol,  Chester,  Man,  and  Dublin  could  always  carry  supplies 
and  reinforcements.  By  the  interior  line  one  road  threaded 
the  Mourne  mountains,  and  deflected  towards  Armagh,  while 
another,  winding  through  west  Breffui,  led  from  Sligo  into 
Donegal  by  the  cataract  of  Assaroe,— the  present  Ballyshannon. 
Along  these  ancient  lines  of  communication,  by  fords,  in  moun- 
tain passes,  and  near  the  landing  places  for  ships,  the  struggle 
for  the  possession  of  that  end  of  the  Island  went  on,  at  intervals, 
whenever  large  bodies  of  men  could  be  spared  from  garrisons 
and  from  districts  already  occupied. 

In  the  year  1210,  we  find  that  there  was  an  English  Castle  at 
Cael-uisge,  now  Castle-Caldwell,  on  Lough  Erne,  and  that  it  was 
broke  down  and  its  defenders  slain  by  Hugh  O'Neil  and  Donald 
More  O'Donnell  acting  together.    After  this  event  we  have  no 
trace  of  a  foreign  force  in  the  interior  of  Ulster  for  several  years. 
Hugh  O'Neil,  who  died  in  1230,  is  praised  by  the  Bards  for 
"  never  having  given  hostages,  pledges,  or  tributes  to  English  or 
Irish,"  which  seems  a  compliment  well  founded.    During  several 
years  following  that  date  the  war  was  chiefly  centered  in  Con- 
naught,  and  the  flghting  men  of  the  north  who  took  part  in  it 
were  acting  as  allies  to  the  O'Conors.     Donald  More  O'Donnell 
had  married  a  daughter  of  Cathal  Crovdearg,  so  that  ties  of  » 
blood,  as  well  as  neighboring  interests,  united  these  two  great 
families.    In  the  year  1247,  an  army  under  Maurice  Fitzgerald, 
Uien  Lord  Justice,  crossed  the  Erne  in  two  divisions,  one  above 
and  the  other  at  Bally;^hannon.    Melaghlin  O'Donnell  was  de- 
facdiDg  tlie  passage  of  the  river  wheu  ho  was  taken  uaejcpect- 
19 


218 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


edly  in  the  rear  by  those  who  had  crossed  higher  up,  and  thu» 
was  defeated  and  slain.  Fitzgerald  then  ravaged  Tyrconnell, 
Bet  up  a  rival  chief  O'Canavan,  and  rebuilt  the  Castle  at  Caeb 
uisge,  near  Beleek.  Ten  years  afterwards  Godfrey  O'Donnell, 
the  successor  of  Melaghlin,  avenged  the  defeat  at  Ballyshan- 
non,  in  the  sanguinary  battle  of  Credran,  near  Sligo,  whers  en- 
gaging Fitzgerald  in  single  combat,  he  gave  him  his  death-stroke. 
From  wounds  received  at  Credran,  Godfrey  himself,  after  lin- 
gerimgaAwelve  months  in  great  suffering,  died,  But  his  bodily 
afflictions  did  not  prevent  him  discharging  all  the  duties  of  a 
great  Captain ;  he  razed  a  second  time  the  English  Castle  on 
Lough  Erne,  and  stoutly  protected  his  own  borders  against  the 
pretensions  of  ONeil,  being  carried  on  his  bier  in  the  front  of 
the  battle  of  Lough  Svvilly  in  1258. 

It  was  while  Tyrconnell  was  under  the  rule  of  this  heroic  sol- 
dier that  the  unfortunate  feud  arose  betwoen  the  O'Neils  and 
O'Donnells.  Both  families,  sprung  from  a  common  ancestor,  of 
equal  antiquity  and  equal  pride,  neither  would  yield  a  first 
place  to  the  other.     "  Pay  me  my  tribute,"  was  0  Neil's  demand  ; 

"  I  owe  you  no  tribute,  and  if  I  did "  was  O'Donnell  s  reply. 

The  O'Neil  at  tiiis  time— Brian— aspiring  to  restore  the  Irish 
sovereignty  in  his  own  person,  was  compelled  to  begin  the  work 
of  exercising  authority  over  his  next  neighbor.  More  than  one 
border  battle  was  the  consequence,  not  only  with  Godfrey,  but 
with  Donnell  Oge,  his  successor.  In  the  year  1258,  Brian  was 
formally  recognized  by  0  Conor  and  O'Brien  as  chief  of  the 
kingdom,  in  the  conference  of  Cael-uisge,  and  two  years  later,  at 
the  battle  of  Down,  gallantly  laid  down  his  life,  in  defence  of  the 
kingdom  he  claimed  to  govern.  In  this  most  important  battle 
no  O'Donnell  is  found  fighting  with  King  Brian,  though  immedi- 
ately afterwards  we  find  Donnell  Oge  of  Tyrconnell  endeavor- 
ing to  subjugate  Tyrone,  and  active  afterwards  in  the  aid  of  his 
cou-ins,  the  grandsons  of  Cathal  Crovdearg,  in  Connaught. 

The  Norman  commander  in  this  battle  was  Stephen  de  Lon- 
gespay,  then  L6rd  Justice,  Earl  of  Salisbury  in  England,  and 
Count  de  Rosman  in  France.  His  marriage  with  the  widow  of 
Hugh  de  Lacy  and  daughter  of  de  Riddlesford  connected  him 
closely  with  Irish  affairs,  and  in  the  battle  of  Down  he  sesms  to 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


219 


have  had  all  the  Anglo-Irish  chivalry,  "  in  gold  and  iron,"  at  his 
back.    With  King  Brian  O'Neil  fell,  on  that  crimson  day,  the 
chiefs  of  the  O'Hanlons,   O'Kanes,   McLaughlins,   0  Qormlys, 
McCanns,  and  other  families  who  followed  his  banner.    The  men 
of  Connaught  suffered  hanlly  less  than  those  of  Ulster.    McDer- 
mott,  Lord  of  Moylurgh,  Cathal  OConor,  O'Qara,  McDonogh, 
0  Mulrony,  0  Quinn,  and  other  chiefs  were  among  the  slain.  °In 
Hugh  Bwee  O'Neil  the  only  hope  of  the  house  of  Tyrone  seemed 
now  to  rest ;  and  his  energy  and  courage  were  all  taxed  to  the 
uttermost  to  retain  the  place  of  his' family  in  the  Province,  beat- 
ing back  rapacious  neighbors  on  the  one  hand,  and  guarding 
against  foreign  enemies  on  the  other.    For  twelve  years,  Hugh 
Bwee  defended  his  lordship  against  all  aggressors.    In  1283,  he 
fell  at  the  hands  of  the  insurgent  chiefs  of  Oriel  and  Breffni,  and 
a  Oerce  contest  for  the  succession  arose  between  his  son  Brian 
and  Donald,  son  of  King  Brian,  who  fell  at  Down.    A  contest  of 
twelve  years  saw  Donald  successful  over  his  rival  (A.D.  1295), 
and  his  rule  extended  from  that  period  until  1325,  when  he  died 
at  Leary's  lake,  in  the  present  diocese  of  Clogher. 

It  was  this  latter  Donnell  or  Donald  O'Neil,  who,  towards  the 
end  of  his  reign,  addressed  to  Pope  John  XXII.  (elected  to  the 
pontiflcate  in  1316)  that  powerful  indictment  against  the  Anglo- 
Normans,  which  has  ever  since  remained   one  of  the  cardinal 
texts  of  our  history.    It  was  evidentlj  written  after  the  unsuc^ 
cessful  attempt,  in  which  Donald  was  himself  a  main  actor,  to 
establish  Edward  Bruce  on  the  throne  of  Ireland.    That  period 
we  have  not  yet  reached,  but  the  merciless  character  of  the  war- 
fare  waged  against  the  natives  of  the  country  could  hardly  have 
been  aggravated  by  Bruce's  defeat.    "They  oblige  us  by  open 
force,"  says  the  Ulster  Prince,  "  to  give  up  to  them  our  houses 
nnd  our  lands,  and  to  seek  shelter  like  wild  beasts  upon  the 
mountains,  in  woods,  marshes  and  caves.    Even  there  we  are  not 
secure  against  their  fury  ;  they  even  envy  us  those  dreary  and 
terrible  abodes ;  they  are  incessant  and  unremitting  in  their  pur- 
suit after  us,  endeavoring  to  chase  us  from  among  them ;  they 
lay  claim  to  every  place  in  which  they  can  disco'^er  us  with  un- 
warranted  audacity  and  iiyustlce ;  they  aUege  that  the  whol« 


I 


2t0 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IKKLAND, 


kingdom  belongs  to  them  of  right,  and  that  an  Irishman  has  n« 
longer  a  right  to  remain  in  his  own  country." 

After  specifying  in  detail  the  proofs  of  these  and  other  gen. 
eral  charges,  the  eloquent  Prince  concludes  by  uttering  the  mem- 
orable  vow  that  the  Irish  "  will  not  cease  to  fight  against  and 
among  their  invaders  until  the  day  when  they  themselves, 
for  want  of  power,  shall  have  ceased  to  do  us  harm,  and  that  a 
Supreme  Judge  shall  have  taken  just  vengeance  on  their  crimes, 
which  we  firmly  hopa  will  sooner  or  later  come  to  pass." 


•♦> 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BBTR03PECT  OF  THE  NORMAN  PERIOD  IN  IRELAND — A  OLANOB  AT 
TUB  MILITARY  TACTICS  OP  THE  TIMES — NO  CONQUEST  OP  THE 
COUNTRY  IN  THE  THIRTEENTH  CENTURY. 

Though  the  victorious  and  protracted  career  of  Richard  de 
Burgh,  the  "  Red  Eari"  of  Ulster,  might,  without  overstraining, 
be  included  in  the  Norman  period,  yet  as  introductory  to  the 
memorable  advent  and  election  of  King  Edward  Bruce,  we  must 
leave  it  for  the  succeeding  book.  Having  brought  down  the 
narrative,  as  regards  all  the  Provinces,  to  the  end  of  the  first 
century,  from  the  invasion,  we  must  now  cast  a  backward  glance 
on  the  events  of  that  hundred  years  before  passing  into  the 
presence  of  other  times  and  new  combinations. 

"There  were,"  says  Oiraldus  Cambrensis,  "three  sundry 
sorts  of  servitors  which  served  in  the  realm  of  Ireland,  Normans, 
Erglishraen,  and  the  Cambrians,  which  were  the  first  conquer- 
ors of  the  land :  the  first  were  in  most  credit  and  estimation,  the 
second  nest,  but  the  last  were  not  accounted  or  regarded  of " 
"  The  Normans,"  adds  that  author,  "  were  very  fine  in  their  ap- 
parel, and  delicate  in  their  diets ;  they  could  not  feed  but  upon 
dainties,  neither  could  their  meat  digest  without  wine  at  each 
meal ;  yet  would  they  not  serve  in  the  marches  or  any  remote 
place  against  th^  enemy,  neither  would  they  lie  in  garrison  to 
k«^])  liny  remote  castle  or  fort,  but  would  be  still  about  theii 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


221 


lord's  side  to  serve  and  guard  his  person ;  they  would  be  wher« 
they  might  be  full  and  have  plenty,  they  could  talk  and  brag, 
swear  and  stare,  and,  standing  in  their  own  reputation,  disdain 
all  others."  This  ia  rather  the  language  of  a  partizan  than  of 
an  historian ;  of  one  who  felt  and  spoke  for  those,  his  own  kins- 
men many  of  them,  who,  he  complains,  although  the  first  to 
enter  on  the  conquest,  were  yet  held  in  contempt  and  disdain, 
"  and  only  new-comers  called  to  council." 

The  Normans  were  certainly  the  captains  in  eveiy  campaign 
from  Robert  Fitzstephen  to  Stephen  de  Longespay.  They 
made  the  war  and  they  maintained  it.  In  the  rank  and  file, 
and  even  among  the  knighthood,  men  of  pure  Welsh,  English, 
and  Flemish  and  Danish  blood,  may  be  singled  out,  but  each 
host  was  marshalled  by  Norman  Gklll,  and  every  defeat  was 
borne  with  Norman  fortitude.  It  may  seem  strange,  then,  that 
these  greatest  masters  of  the  art  of  war,  as  waged  in  the  mu 


ageg^^ invincible  in  Englan^d^  France,  Ital^,  and  the  East,  should 
alter  a  hun3re3^ears  be  no  nearer  to  the  conquest  of  Ireland 
'than  they'^ere  at  the. end  of  the  tenth  yeaf." 

The  rnain  causes  of  tlie  flucthatiohs  of  the  war  were,  no  doubt, 
the  divided  military  command,  and  the  frequent  change  of  their 
civil  authorities.  They  had  never  marched,  or  colonized  before 
without  their  Duke,  or  King  at  their  head,  and  in  their  midst. 
One  supreme  chief  was  necessary  to  keep  to  any  common  pur- 
pose the  minds  of  so  many  proud,  intractable  nobles.  The 
feuds  of  the  de  Lacys  with  the  Marshalls,  of  the  Geraldines  with 
the  de  Burghs,  broke  out  periodically  during  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury, and  were  naturally  seized  upon  by  the  Irish  as  opportuni- 
ties for  attacking  either  or  both.  The  secondary  nobles  and 
all  the  adventurers  understood  their  danger  and  its  cause,  when 
they  petitioned  Henry  II.  and  Henry  III.  so  often  and  so  urgently 
as  they  did,  that  a  member  of  the  royal  family  might  reside  per- 
manently in  Ireland,  to  esercise  the  supreme  authority,  mili- 
tary and  civil. 

The  civil  administration  of  the  colonists  passing  into  different 
hands  every  three  or  four  years,  suffered  from  the  absence  oi 
permanent  authority.  The  law  of  the  marches  was,  of  necessity, 
Ihe  law  of  the  strong  hand,  and  no  other.     But  ChMnhremii 


!l   J'i 


ni:     1! 


p     I 


232 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


Whose  personal  prejudices  are  not  involved  in  this  fact,  describei 
the  walled  towns  as  filled  with  litigation  in  his  time.    «'  There 
was,"  ho  says,  "  snch  lawing  and  vexation,  that  the  veteran  was 
more  troubled  in  ^awm^r  within  the  town  than  he  was  in  peril  at 
large  with  the  er.emy."     This  being  the  case,  we  must  take  with 
great  caution  the  bold  assertions  so  often  made  of  the  zeal 
with  which  t,he  natives  petitioned  the  Henrys  and  Edwards  that 
the  law  of  England  might  be  extended  to  them.    Certain  Colts 
whose  lands  lay  within  or  upon  the  marches,  others  who  com- 
pounded with  tbeir  Norman  invaders,  a  chief  or  prince,  hard- 
pressed  by  dom««stic  enemies,  may  have  wished  to  be  in  a  posi- 
tion to  quote  Korman  law  against  Norman  spoilers,  but  the 
popular  petitiims-  which  went  to  England,  beseeching  the  exten- 
sion of  its  lawp  to  Ireland,  went  only  from  the  townsmen  of 
Dublin,  and  the  new  settlers  in  Leinster  or  Meath,  harassed  and 
impoveri«,r)ed  by  the  arbitrary  jurisdiction  of  manorial  courts 
from  wmch  they  had  no  appeal.     The  great  mass  of  the  Irish 
remained  as  warmly  attached  to  their  Brelion  code  down  to  the 
seventeenth  century  as  they  were  before  the  invasion  of  Norman 
or  Dane.    It  may  sound  barbarous  to  our  ears  that,  according  to 
that  code,  murder  should  be  compounded  by  an  eric,  or  fine  •  That 
putUng  out  the  eyes  should  be  the  usual  punishment  of  treason  • 
that  maiming  should  be  judicially  inflicted  for  sundry  offences  • 
and  that  the  land  of  a  whole  clan  should  be  equally  shaied  b J 
,   tween  the  free  members  of  that  clan.    We  are  not  yet  in  a  posi- 
tion to  form  an  intelligent  opinion  upon  the  primitive  jurisprudence 
of  our  ancestors,  but  the  system  itself  could  not  have  been  very 
viscious  which  nourished  in  the  governed  such  athirst  for  justice 
that,  according  to  one  of  their  earliest  English  law  reformers* 
they  were  anxious  for  its  execution,  even  against  themselves.     ' 
The  distinction  made  in  the  courts  of  the  adventurers  against 
natives  of  the  soil,  even  when  long  domiciled  within  their  bor- 
ders, was  of  itself  a  sufficient  cause  of  war  between  the  races     In 
the  eloquent  letter  of  the  0  Neil  to  Pope  John  XXII -written 
about  the  year  1318-we  read,  that  no  man  of  Irish   oricrin 
could  sue  in  an  English  court;  that  no  Irishman,  within  th« 
marches  could  make  a  legal  will ;  that  his  property  was  appro- 
priat«r  by  his  English  neighbors;  and  that  the  murder  of  a« 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND.  ► 


22a 


Irishman  was  not  even  a  felony  punishable  by  fine.  This  latter 
charge  would  appear  incredible,  if  we  had  not  the  record  of 
more  than  one  case  where  the  homicide  justified  his  act  by  the 
plea  that  his  victim  was  a  mere  native,  and  where  the  plea  was 
held  good  and  sufficient. 

A  very  vivid  picture  of  Hiberno-Norman  town-life  in  those 
days  is  presented  to  us  in  an  old  poem,  on  the  "  Entrenchment 
of  the  Town  of  Ross,"  in  the  year  1265.  We  have  there  the 
various  trades  and  crafts — mariners,  coat-makers,  fullers,  cloth-= 
dyers  and  sellers,  butchers,  cordwainers,  tanners,  hucksters, 
smiths,  masons,  carpenters,  arranged  by  guilds,  and  marchmg 
to  the  sound  of  flute  and  tabor,  under  banners  bearing  a  fish 
and  platter,  a  painted  ship,  and  other  "  rare  devices."  On  the 
walls,  when  finished,  cross-bows  hung,  with  store  of  arrows  ready 
to  shoot ;  when  the  city  horn  sounded  twice  burgess  and  batche- 
lor  vied  with  eacii  other  in  warlike  haste.  In  time  of  peace 
the  stranger  was  always  welcome  in  the  streets ;  he  was  free 
to  buy  and  sell  without  toll  or  tax,  and  to  adm!  e  the  fair 
dames  who  walked  the  quiet  ramparts,  clad  in  mantles  of  green, 
or  russet,  or  scarlet.  Such  is  the  poetic  picture  of  the  town 
of  Ross  in  the  thirteenth  century ;  the  poem  itself  is  written  in 
Norman-French,  though  evidently  intended  for  popular  use,  and 
the  author  is  called  "  Friar  Michael  of  Kiidaro."  It  is  pretty 
evident  from  this  instance,  which  is  not  singular,  that  a  century 
after  the  first  invasion,  the  French  language  was  still  the 
speech  of  part,  if  not  the  majority,  of  these  Hiberno-Norman 
townsmen. 

So  walls,  and  laws,  and  language  arose,  a  triple  barrier  betweev 
the  races.  That  common  religion  which  might  be  expected  to 
form  a  strong  bond  between  them  had  itself  to  adopt  a  twofold 
organization.  Distinctions  of  nationality  were  carried  into  the 
Sanctuary  and  into  the  Cloister.  Tlie  historian  Oiraldus,  in 
preaching  at  Dublin  against  the  alleged  vices  of  the  native  Clergy, 
soutided  the  first  note  of  a  long  and  bitter  controversy.  He  was 
promptly  answered  from  the  same  pulpit  on  the  next  occasion 
by  Albin  O'MulIoy,  the  patriot  Abbot  of  Baltinglass.  In  one  of 
the  early  Courts  or  Parliaments  of  the  Adventurers,  they  decreed 
that  no  Monastery  in  those  districts  of  which  they  had  posses- 


1,1. 


^1^ 


r 


224 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRfiLANU. 


.on  should  adm.t  any  but  nat.Ves  of  England,  as  novices.-, 
rule,  which,  according  to  O'Neil's  letter,  was  faithfully  acted 

M3o„  by  English  Dominicans,  Franciscans,  Benedictines,  and 
legular  canons.  Some  of  the  great  Cistercian  houses  on  the 
nwches,  .n  which  the  native  religious  predominated,  adopted  . 
rotahatory  rule,  for  which  they  were  severely  censured  by  the 
general  Chapter  of  their  Order.  But  the  length  to  which  t  8 
feud  was  carried  may  be  imagalned  by  the  sweeping  charg  O'N^ 
bnngs  against  "  Brother  Symon,  a  relative  of  the  Jishop  of  Gov 

Te  S  ThatT\^^l^"'"r'''  "^"°'^'  '^'^  ^P-'y-intaln:;. 
he  says,   hat  the  kilhng  of  a  mere  Irishmen  was  no  murder. 

When  this  was  the  feeling  on  one  side,  or  was  believed  to  be 

the  feeling,  we  cannot  wonder  that  the  war  should  have  been  re- 

man  m  the  field,  than  the  knight  was  upon  the  road.    Some 

through    he  methodic  indifference  to  detail  of  the  old  annals. 

and  reveal  to  us  curious  conditions  of  society.   In  the  Irish  coun- 

ry,  where  castle-building  was  but  slowly  introduced,  we  see 

wa7  wa7    '  T  ^  ""^^  ^^"^^=^  '''  P^---'  -  time  Of 
war,  was  in  churches  and  churchyards.     Thus  de  Bur^h    in 

l"s  expedition  to  Mayo,  in  1236,  "  left  neither  rick  nor  baske't  o" 

W  .  f  r,  ^'^^"'^  '^"  Archangel,  and  carried  away  eighty 
baskets  out  of  the  churches  themselves."  When  we  read'  there 
fore,  as  we  frequently  do,  of  both  Irish  and  Normans  plu^derin^ 
c  urches  in  the  land  of  their  enemies,  we  are  not  to  suppose  ^l 
P  under  of  the  sanctuary.  Popularly  this  seizing  the  supplies 
of  an  enemy  on  consecrated  ground  was  considered  next  to 
sacniege ;   and  well  it  was  for  the  fugitives  in  the  sanctuary 

-  1  '  ''"^  ''™^'  ''"'  ''  «^^°"^^  b«  «°  considered.  Yet  not  the 
less  IS  It  necessary  for  us  to  distinguish  a  high-handed  military 
measure  lom  actual  sacrilege,  for  which  there  can  be  no  aplJ 
and  hardly  any  earthly  atonement.  °^' 

ovf ;  ItT/'"'  ''™''?"'  ''"  ^"'^  ^^^  "°^  g^^^t  ^^l^antage 
over  the  Normans  in  their  familiarity  with  the  countiy.    This 

helped  them  to  their  first  victories.     But  when   the  invaders 

were  able  to  set  up  rivaj  houses  against  each  other  and  to 


u   i 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF    IRELAND, 


236 


secure  the  co-operation  of  natives,  the  advantage  was  soon 
equalized.  Great  importance  was  attached  to  the  intelligence 
and  good  faith  of  the  guides,  who  accompanied  every  army,  and 
were  personally  consulted  by  the  leaders  in  determining  their 
march.  A  country  so  thickly  studded  with  the  ancient  forest, 
and  so  netted  with  rivers  (then  of  much  greater  volume  than 
since  they  have  been  otripped  of  their  guardian  woods),  afforded 
constant  occasion  for  the  display  of  minute  local  knowledge.  To 
miss  a  pass  or  to  find  a  ford  might  determine  a  campaign, 
almost  as  much  as  the  skill  of  the  chief,  or  tae  courage  of  the 
battalion. 

The  Irish  depended  for  their  knowledge  of  the  English  towns 
and  castles  on  their  daring  spies,  who  continually  risked  their 
necks  in  acquiring  for  their  clansmen  such  needful  information. 
This  perilous  duty,  when  undertaken  by  a  native  for  the  benefit  of 
his  country,  was  justly  accounted  highly  hooorable.  Proud  poets, 
educated  in  all  the  mysteries  of  their  art,  and  even  ruen  of  chief- 
tain rank,  did  not  hesitate  to  assume  disguises  and  act  the  patriot 
spy.  One  of  the  most  celebrated  spies  of  this  century  was 
Donough  Pitzpatrick,  son  of  the  Lord  of  Ossory,  who  was  slain 
by  the  English  in  1250,  He  was  said  to  be  "  one  of  the  three 
men"  most  feared  by  the  English  in  his  day.  "  He  was  in  the 
habit  of  going  about  to  reconnoitre  their  market  towns,"  say  the 
Annalists,  "in  various  disguises."  An  old  quatrain  gives  us 
a  list  of  some  of  the  parts  he  played  when  in  the  towns  of  his 
enemies— 

••  Ho  is  a  carpenter,  he  is  a  turner, 

My  nursling  is  a  bookman, 

He  is  selling  wine  and  hides 

Where  be  sees  a  gathering." 

An  able  captain,  as  well  as  an  intrepid  spy,  he  met  his  fate  in 
acting  out  his  favorite  part,  "  which,"  adds  our  justice-loving 
Four  Masters,  "  was  a  retaliation  due  to  the  English,  for,  up  to 
that  time,  he  had  killed,  burned,  and  destroyed  many  of  them.'* 
Of  the  equipments  and  tactics  of  the  belligerents  we  get  from 
our  Annals  but  scanty  details.  The  Norman  battalion,  according 
to  the  usage  of  that  people,  led  by  the  marshal  of  the  field, 
charged,  after  the  archers  had  delivered  their  fire.    But  these 


53d 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


•WATS  had  bred  a  n^vv  mounted   force,  called  hooUler-archeri^ 
who  were  found  so  effective  that  they  were  adopted  into  all  the 
armies  of  Europe.    Although  the  bow  was  never  a  favor'tc  wea- 
pon with  the  Irish,  particular  tribes  seem  to  have  b«en  noted  for 
its  use.    We  hear  in  the  campaigns  of  this  century  of  the  archors 
of  Breffni,  and  we  may  probably  interpret  as  referring  to  the 
same  weapon,  Felim  O'Conor's  order  to  his  men,  in  his  corabal 
with  the  sons  of  Roderick  at  Drumraitte  (1237),  "not  to  shoot  but 
to  come  to  a  close  flght."    It  is  possible,  however,  that  this  order 
may  have  reference  to  the  old  Irish  weapon,  the  javelin  or  dart. 
The  pike,  the  battle-axe,  the  sword,  and  skein,  or  dagger,  both 
parties  had  in  common  though  their  construction  wa;t  different. 
Tiie  favorite  tactique,  on  both  sides,  seems  to  have  been  the  old 
military  expedient  of  outflanking  an  enemy,  and  attacking  him 
simultaneously  in  front  and  rear.    Thus,  at  the  year  1225,  in 
one  of  the  combat?  of  the  O'Conors,  when  the  son  of  Cathal 
Crovdearg  endeavored  to  surround  Tnrlogh  OConor,  the  latter 
ordered  his  recruits  to  the  van,  and  Donn  Oge  Magheraty,  with 
some  Tyronian  and  other  soldiers  to  cover  the  rear,  "  by  which 
means  they  escaped  without  the  loss  of  a  man."    The  flank 
movement  by  which  the  Lord  Justice  Fitzgerald  carried  the  pas- 
sage of  t!)e  Erne  (A.  D.  1247)  against  O'Donnell,  according  to 
the  Annalists,  was  suggested  to  Fitzgerald  by  Cormac,  the  grand- 
son of  Roderick  O'Conor.    By  that  period  in  their  intercourse 
the  Normans  and  Irish  had  fought  so  often  together  that  their 
stock  Kfl  tactical  knowledge  must  have  been,  from  experience 
very  much  common  property.    In  the  eyes  of  :  le  Irish  chiefs  and* 
chroniclers,  the  foreign  soldiers  who  served  with  them  were  but 
hired  mercenaries.    They  were  sometimes  repaid  by  the  plun- 
der of  the  country  attacked,  but  usually  they  received  flxed 
wages  for  the  length  of  time  they  entered.    "  Hostages  for  the 
payment  of  wages"  are  frequently  referred  to,  as  given  by  native 
nobles  to  the^je  foreign  auxiliaries.     The  chief  expedient  for 
subsisting  an  army  was  driving  before  them  herds  and  flocks ; 
free  quarters  for  men  and  horses  were  supplied  by  the  tenants  of 
allied  chiefs  witiiin  their  territory,  and  for  the  rest,  the  simple 
outfit  was  probably  not  very  unlike  that  of  the  Scottish  bor, 
derers  described  by  Froissart,  who  cooked  the  cattle  they  capl 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND, 


227 


tured  in  their  skhis,  cart-ying  a  broad  plato  of  metal   and  a 
little  bag  of  oatmeal  iriiHsed  up  behiiiJ  the  saddle. 

One  inveterate  habit  clung  to  the  ancient  race,  even  until  long 
after  the  times  of  wiiich  we  rif)\v  speak — their  unconquerable  pre- 
Judice  a(.;aiiist  defenHive  armor.  Gilbride  McNamee,  the  laureat 
to  Kiny  Brian  O'Neil,  gives  due  prominence  to  thts  fact  in  his  poem 
on  the  death  of  his  patron  in  the  battle  of  Down  (A.  D.  1260) 
Titus  sings  the  northern  bard — 

••  The  foreignera  from  London, 
The  hosts  from  Port-Larj^y* 
Came  in  a  bright  green  body, 
In  gold  and  iron  armor. 

•'  Unequal  they  engage  in  the  battle. 
The  foreignera  and  the  Gael  of  Tara, 
Fine  linen  shirta  on  the  race  of  Conn, 
And  the  strangers  one  mass  qfiron,^' 

With  what  courage  they  fought,  these  acorners  of  armor,  their 
victories  of  Ennis,  of  Callanglen,  and  of  Oredran,  as  well  as  their 
defeats  at  tlie  Erne  and  at  Down,  amply  testify.  The  Hrst  hun- 
dred years  of  war  for  native  land,  with  their  new  foes,  had  passed 
over,  and  three-fourths  of  the  Saer  Clanna  were  still  as  free  as 
they  had  ever  been.  It  was  not  reserved  even  for  the  Norman 
race — the  conquest  of  Innisfail ! 


•»* 


CHAPTER  XII. 

STATE    OP    SOCIETY    AND    LEARNING    IN    IRELAND    DURING    THR 

NORMAN    PERIOD. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  character  of  the  war  waged 
by  and  against  the  Normans  on  Irish  soil,  and  as  war  was  then 
almost  every  man's  business,  we  may  be  supposed  to  have  de- 
scribed all  that  is  known  of  the  time  in  describing  its  wars, 

•  Port-Largy,  Waterfori. 


£1 


s 


228 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


What  we  have  to  add  of  the  other  pnmilts  of  the  varfon,  order. 
of  men  M.to  which  society  was  divided,  \s  neither  very  full  nor 
▼ory  satisfactory.  ^ 

Tl»e  rise,  fall  an.I  migrationa  of  some  of  the  clans,  have  been 
a  rea,Iy  allade.l  to.    In  no  age  did  n.ore  <le,>end  on  the  personal 
character  of  the  chief  than  then.     When  the  death  of  the  hen'o 
Oodnv,y  left  the  free  clansmen  of  Tyrconnell  without  a  lord  to 
ead   hem  to  battle,  or  rule  them  In  peace,  the  Annalists  rllr- 
«ent  them  to  us  as  meeting  in  great  perplexity,  and  engaged  "  in 
makmg  speeches"  as  to  what  was  to  be  done,  when  sullenly 
to  their  great  relief,  Donnoll  Oge.  son  of  Donnell  More,  who  lad 
been  fostered  in  Alba  (Scotland),  was  seen  approaching  them 
No    mo,ewe,eomewas  Tuathal,  the  well-beloved,  the  Restorer* 
of  the  Miles,an  monarchy,  after  the  revolt  of  the  Tuatha.    lie 
was  nnn^ediately  elected  chief,  and  the  emissaries  of  ONiel    who 
had  been  waiting  for  an  answer  to  his  demand  of  tribute  were 
brought  before  him.    He  answered  their  proposition  by  a  ^  5 
expressed  m  the  Gaelic  of  Alba,  which  says  that  "  evely  man 
Bhould  possess  his  own  country."  and  Tyiconnoll  armed  to  make 
good  this  maxim. 

and 'In  T-^'"  ".'^''  '""  '"'"'""'^  "'"^^  °^  *^«''-  ^"^'-"t  power, 
and  an  the.r  ancient  pride.    Of  their  most  famous  names  in  thi 

period  we  may  mention  Murray  O'Daly  of  Lissadil.  in  Sli.o 

Donogh  O'Daly  of  Flnvana.  sometimes  called  Abbot  of  Boyle' 

and  Qilbride  McNaraee,  laureate  to  King  Brian  O'Nell.     McN  i' 

rnee,  in  lamenting  the  death  of  Brian,  describes  himself  as  de- 

fenceless,  and  a  prey  to  every  spoiler,  now  that  his  royal  pro- 

tector  IS  no  more.    He  gave  him.  he  tells  us,  for  a  poem  on  one 

occasion,  besides  gold  and  raiment,  a  gift  of  twenty  cows.    On 

another    when  he  presented  him  a  poem,  he  gave  in  return 

twenty  Imrned  cows,  and  a  gift  still  more  lasting,  "  the  blessing 

of  the  Kmg  of  Erin."    Other  chiefs,  who  fell  in  the  same  battle! 

and  to  one  of  whom,  named  Auliffe  O'Gormley.  he  had  often  gone 

^  on  a  visit  of  pleasure,"  are  lamented  with  equal  warmth  by  the 

bard     The  poetic  4bbot  of  Boyle  is  himself  lamented  in  the 

Annals  as  the  Ovid  of  Ireland,  as  "a  poet  who  never  had  and 

never  will  have  an  equal."    But  the  episode  which  best  illustrates, 

at  once  the  address  and  the  audacity  qf  thd  bardic  order,  is  th« 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRRLAND. 


229 


itory  of  Rlunuy  O'Daly  of  Llssadil,  and  Donnell  >Iore  O'Don- 
nell,  Lord  of  Tyrconiiell. 

In  tho  year  1213,  O'Donnoll  despatched  Finn  O'BrollaRhan, 
his  Aea  graidh  or  Steward,  to  collect  his  tribute  in  Connanght, 
and  Finn,  putting  up  at  tiie  house  of  O'Daly,  near  Drumcliff,  and 
being  a  plebeian  who  know  no  better,  began  to  wrangle  witlj  the 
poet.  The  irritable  master  of  song,  seizing  a  sharp  axe,  slew 
the  steward  on  the  spot,  and  then  to  avoid  O'Donnell's  vengeance 
fled  into  Clanrickarde.  Here  he  announced  himself  by  a  poem 
addressed  to  de  Burgh,  imploring  his  protection,  setting  forth  the 
claims  of  the  Bardic  order  on  all  high-descended  heroes,  and 
contending  that  his  fault  was  but  venial,  in  killing  a  clown,  who 
insulted  him.  O'Donnell  pursued  the  fugitive  to  Athenry,  and 
de  Burgh  sent  him  away  secretly  into  Thomond.  Into  Tho- 
mond,  the  Lord  of  Tyrconnell  marched,  but  O'Brien  sent  off  the 
Bard  to  Limerick.  The  enraged  Ulstertnan  soon  appeared  at 
the  gates  of  Limerick,  when  O'Daly  was  smuggled  out  of  the 
town,  and  "  passed  from  hand  to  hand,"  until  he  reached  Dub- 
lin. The  following  spring  O'Donnell  appeared  in  force  before 
Dublin,  and  demanded  the  fugitive,  who,  as  a  last  resort,  had 
been  sent  for  safety  into  Scotland.  From  the  place  of  his  exile 
he  addressed  three  deprecatory  poems  to  the  offended  Lord  of 
Tyrconnell,  who  finally  allowed  liim  to  return  to  Lissadill  in 
peace,  and  even  restored  him  to  his  friendship. 

The  introduction  of  the  new  religious  orders — Dominicans, 
Franciscans,  and  the  order  for  the  redemption  of  Captives  into  Ire- 
land, in  the  first  quarter  of  this  century  gradually  extinguished  the 
old  Columban  and  Brigintine  houses.  In  Leinster  they  made  way 
most  rapidly ;  but  Ulster  clung  with  its  ancient  tenacity  to  the 
Columban  rule.  The  Hierarchy  of  the  northern  Imlf-kingdom 
still  exercised  a  protectorate  over  lona  itself,  for  we  read,  at  tho 
year  1203,  how  Kellagh  having  erected  a  monastery  in  the  mid- 
dle of  lona,  in  despite  of  the  religious,  that  the  Bishops  of  Derry 
and  Raphoe,  with  the  Abbots  of  Armagh  and  Derry  and  num- 
bers of  the  Clergy  of  the  North  of  Ireland,  passed  over  to 
lona,  pulled  down  the  unauthorized  monastery,  and  assisted 
at  the  election  of  a  new  Abbot.  This  is  almost  the  last  impor- 
tant  act  of  the  Columbaa  order  in  Ireland.  By  the  close  of  the 
20 


I'i 


mi^t 


I!; 


S30 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


m 


century,  the  Dominicans  had  some  thirty  houses,  and  the  Fran- 
ciscans  as  many  more,  whether  in  the  walled  towns  or  the  open 
country.     These  monasteries  became  the  refuge  of  scholars,  dur- 
ing the  stormy  period  we  have  passed,  and  in  other  days  full  aa 
troubled,  which  were  to  come.    Moreover,  as  the  Irish  student, 
like  all  others  in  that  ago,  desired  to  travel  from  school  to  school] 
these  orders  admitted  him  to  the  ranks  of  widespread  European 
brotherhoods,  from  whom  he  might  always  claim  hospitality.  Nor 
•need  we  reject  as  anything  incredible  the  high  renown  for  scholar- 
ship and  ability  obtained  in  those  times  by  such  men  as  Thomas 
Palmeran  of  Naas,  in  the  University  of  Paris ;  by  Peter  and  Thomas 
Hibernicus  in  the  University  of  Naples,  in  the  age  of  Aquinas- 
by  Malachy  of  Ireland,  a  Franciscan,  Chaplain  to  King  Edward  II 
of  Englahd  and  Professor  at  Oxford;  by  the  Danish  Dominican] 
Gotofrid  of  Waterford ;  and  above  all,  by  John  Scotus  of  Down, 
the  subtle  doctor,  the  luminary  of  the  Franciscan  schools,  of 
Paris  and  Cologne.    The  native  schools  of  Ireland  had  lost  their 
early  ascendancy,  and  are  no  longer  traceable  in  our  annals  ;  but 
Irish  scholarship  when  arrested  in  its  full  development  at  home, 
transferred  its  efforts  toforeign  Universities,  and  there  maintained 
the  ancient  honor  of  the  country  among  the  studious  "  nations" 
of  Christendom.    Among  the  "  nations"  involved  in  the  college 
riots  at   Oxford,  in   the  year  1274,  we  find   mention  of  the 
Irish,  from  which  fact  it  is  evident  there  must  have  been  a  con- 
siderable  number  of  natives  of  timt  country,  then  frequenting 
the  University. 

The  most  distinguished  native  ecclesiastics  of  this  century 
were  Matthew  O'Heney,  Archbishop  of  Cashel,  originally  a  Cis- 
tercian  monk,  who  died  in  retirement  at  Holy  Cross  in  1207  ; 
Albin  O'Mulloy,  the  opponent  of  Gimldus,  who  died  Bishop  of 
Perns  in  1222  ;  and  Clarus  McMailin,  Erenach  of  Trinity  Island, 
Lough  Key— if  an  Erenach  may  be  called  an  ecclesiastic.     It 
was  O'Heney  made  the  Norman  who  said  the  Irish  Church  had 
no  martyrs,  the  celebrated  answer,  that  now  men  had  come  into 
tho  country  who  knew  so  well  how  to  make  martyrs,  that  reproach 
would  soon  be  taken  away.     He  is  said  to  have  written  a  life  of 
Saint  Cuthbertof  Lindisfarne,  and  we  know  that  he  had  legantine 
powers  at  the  opening  of  the  century.  The  Erenach  of  Lough  Key, 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


231 


' 


who  flourished  in  its  second  half,  plays  an  important  part  in  all 
the  western  feuds  and  campaigns  ;  his  guarantee  often  preserved 
peace  and  protected  the  vanquished.  Among  the  church-huild- 
ers  of  his  age,  he  stands  conspicuous.  The  ordinary  churclies 
were  indeed  easily  built,  seldom  exceeding  60  or  70  feet  in 
length,  and  one  half  that  width,  and  the  material  still  most  in 
use  was,  for  the  church  proper,  timber.  The  towers,  cashels,  or 
surrounding  walls,  and  the  cells  of  the  religious,  as  well  as  the 
great  monasteries  and  collegiate  and  cathedral  churches,  were  of 
stone,  and  many  of  them  remain  monuments  of  the  skill  and 
munificence  of  their  founders. 

Of  the  consequences  of  the  abolition  of  slavery  by  the  Council 
of  Armagh,  at  the  close  of  the  twelfth  century,  we  have  no  tangi- 
ble evidence.  It  is  probable  that  the  slave  trade,  i  ather  than  do- 
mestic servitude,  was  abolished  by  that  decree.  The  cultivators 
of  the  soil  were  still  divided  into  two  orders — Biataghs  and 
Brooees.  "  The  former, '  says  O'Donovan,  "  who  were  compara- 
tively few  in  number,  would  appear  to  have  held  their  lands  free 
of  rent,  but  were  obliged  to  entertain  travellers,  and  the  chiefs 
soldiers  when  on  their  march  in  his  direction ;  and  the  latter 
(the  Brooees)  would  appear  to  have  been  subject  to  a  stipulated 
rent  and  service."  From  "  the  Book  of  Lecan,"  a  compilation 
of  the  fourteenth  century,  we  learn  that  the  Brooee  was  required 
to  keep  an  hundred  laborers,  and  an  hundred  of  each  kind  of 
domestic  animals.  Of  the  rights  or  wages  of  the  laborers,  w« 
believe,  there  is  no  mention  made. 


i 


.Hi 


-•M- 


BOOK    V. 

THE  ERA  OF  KING  EDWARD  BRUCE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

IHB    RISE    OP    "  THF    Bwn     omi^n 

THE   BED    EARL   -BELATIONS  OF   IRELAND  AND 
SCOTLAND. 

mJ^'/j    '^l  ^rf  ''"'"'^  ^^'^^    ^o«^Pri«ed  the  reigns  of 
Edward  I.  and  II.  in  England  (1272  to  AD   1^27^  T  n    ^ 
saw  the  last  of  her  first  race  of  kJZ       f\u     f  ^'     ^•'"^°^ 
fnm\w  nf  w  .  '""^'  ^°^  *^e  elevation  of  the 

semed  the  EngHsh  interest  and  i„a„ence  in  Ireland        '     ' 

Kea  tart  of  Ulster,  nobly  bred  in  tUe  court  of  Henry  III  „» 
England,  had  attained  man's  age  about  the  periodTLn  „,« 

iMsh  fam,hes,  eUher  throngh  the  fortune  of  war  or  failnre\^» 
«sue  were  deprived  of  most  of  their  natural  lead^™  Unli 
in  h,s  own  person  the  blood  of  the  O'Conord.  r',.  ! 

de  Burghs,  his  authority  was  great  frL  (^^1?    ■  °f'  ""^ 

and  Oonnaiicrht     r„  ,,•   •        f  "  '"°  begmnmg  in  Meath 

bel  abetted  bt  ,1        •'°T'''  ™  ^«^'""^"'  ko  seems  to  have 

tuh"  trst'^t;i;rr^"he°n'h'■r' ^r' '''■°  ^-™ 
veMon  in  .thione,  ^rSdrb^rrfticra: 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


233 


fche  strong  town  of  Trim,  upon  the  Boyne.    Laying  claim  to 
the  possessions  of  the  Lord  of  Meath,  which  touched  the  Kildare 
Geraldmes  at  so  many  points,  he  inevitably  came  into  contact 
wiih  that  powerful  family.    In  1288,  In  alliance  with  Manus 
O  Conor,  they  compelled  him  to  retreat  from  Roscommon  into 
Clanrickarde,  in  Mayo.    De  Verdon,  his  competitor  for  West- 
meath,  naturally  entered  into  alliance  with  the  Kildare  Geraldine 
and  in  the  year  1294,  after  many  lesser  conflicts,  they  took  the 
Red  Earl  and  his  brother  William  prisoners,  and  carried  them  iu 
fetters  to  the  Castle  of  Lea.  in  OfFally.    This  happened  on  the 
6th  day  of  December ;  a  Parliament,  assembled  at  Kilkenny  on 
the  12th  of  March  following,  ordered  their  release;  and  a  peace 
was  made  between  these  powerful  houses.    De  Burcrh  .rave  his 
two  sons  as  hostages  to  Fitzgerald,  and  the  latter  Turrendered 
the  Castle  of  Sligo  to  de  Burgh.    From  the  period  of  this  peace 
the  power  of  the  last  named  nobleman  outgrew  anything  that- 
had  been  known  since  the  Invasion.    In  the  year  1291,  he  ban- 
ished the  O'Donnell  out  of  his  territory,  and  set  up  another  of  his 
own  choosing ;  he  deposed  one  O'Neil  and  raised  up  another  ■ 
ho  so  straitened  O'Conor  in  his  patrimony  of  Roscommon,  that 
that  Prince  also  entered  his  camp  at  Meelick,  and  gave  him 
hostages.    He  was  thus  the  first  and  only  man  of  his  race  who 
had  ever  had  in  his  hand  the  hostages  both  of  Ulster  and  Con- 
naught.    When  the  King  of  England  sent  writs  into  Ireland,  he 
usually  addressed  the  Red  Earl,  before  the  Lord  Justice  or  Lord 
Deputy -a  compliment  which,  in  that  ceremonious  a^e,  could 
not  be  otherwise  than  flattering  to  the  pride  of  de  Burgh.     Such 
was  the  order  of  summons,  in  which,  in  the  year  1296,  he  was 
required  by  Edward  L  to  attend  him  into  Scotland,  which  was 
then  experiencing  some  of  the  worst  consequences  of  a  disputed 
succession.    As  Ireland's  interest  in  this  struggle  becomes  in  the 
sequel  second  only  to  that  of  Scotland,  we  must  make  brief 
mention  of  its  origin  and  progress. 

By  the  accidental  death  of  Alexander  III.,  in  1286,  the  McAl- 
pine,  or  Scoto-Irish  dynasty,  was  suddenly  terminated.  Alex- 
anders  only  surviving  child,  Margaret,  called  from  her  mother's 
country.  "  tha  Maid  of  Norway,"  soon  followed  her  father ;  an  I 
ho  less  than  eight  competitors,  all  claiming  collateral  descent 


a» 


234 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


1 


from  the  former  Kings,  appeared  at  the  head  of  as  many  ^^ctiong 
to  contest  the  succession.    This  number  was,  however,  soon  re. 
duced  to  two  men-John  Baliol  and  Robert  Bruce-the  former 
the  grandson  of  the  eldest,  the  latter  the  son  of  the  second 
daughter  of  King  David  L    After  many  bickerings  these  power- 
ful  rivals  were  induced  to  refer  their  claims  to  the  decision  of 
Edward  I.  of  England,  who,  in  a  Great  Court  held  at  Berwick 
m  the  year  1292,  decided  in  favor  of  Baliol,  not  in  the  character 
of  an  mdifferent  arbitrator,  but  as  lord  paramount  of  Scotland 
As  such,  Baliol  there  and  then  rendered  him  feudal  homage 
and  became,  in  the  language  of  the  age,  "  his  man."    This  sub^ 
sovereignty  could  not  but  be  galling  to  the  proud  and  warlike 
nobles  of  Scotland,  and  accordingly,  finding  Edward  embroiled 
about  his  French  possessions,  three  years  after  the  decision,  thoy 
caused  Baliol  to  enter  into  an  alliance,  offensive  and  defensive 
with  Philip  IV.  of  France,  against  his  English  suzerain      The 
nearer  danger  compelled  Edward  to  march  with  40  000  men 
which  he  had  raised  for  the  war  in  France,  towards  the  Scot' 
tish  border,  whither   he  summoned  the  Earl  of  Ulster    the 
Geraldines,   Butlers,   de  Verdons,   de  Genvilles,  Birminghams. 
P«)ers.  Purcells.  de  Cogans.  de  Barrys,  de  Lacys,  d'Exeters  and 

1  ^qT  T''  r^^''  *'  '"'"'  '"  ^'"^  '°  ^''  ^^"^P  ^^^'y  '^^  March, 
1296     The  Norman-Irish  obeyed  the  call,  but  the  pride  of  de 

Burgh  would  not  permit  him  to  embark  in  the  train  of  the  Lord 
Justice  Wogan,  who  had  been  also  summoned ;  he  sailed  with  his 
own  forces  in  a  separate  fleet,  having  conferred  the  honor  of 
kmghthood  on  thirty  of  his  younger  followers  before  embarking 
at  Dublin     Whether  these  forces  arrived  in  time  to  take  part  in 
the  bloody  siege  of  Berwick,  and  the  panic-route  at  Dunbar 
doe.  not  appear ;  they  were  in  time,  however,  to  see  the  otrongesi 
places  in  Scotland  yielded  up.  and  John  Baliol  a  prisoner  on  his 
way  to  the  Tower  of  London.     They  were  sumptuously  enter- 
tamed  by  the  conqueror  in  the  Castle  of  Roxburgh,  and  return  d 
to  their  western  homes  deeply  impressed  with  the  power  of  En-. 
land,  and  the  puissance  of  her  warrior -king. 
^    But  the  independence  of  Scotland  wag  not  to  be  trodden  out 
in  a  smgle  campaign.     During  Edward's  absence  in  France 
Wiljiam  Wallace  and  other  guerilla  chiefs  arose,  to  whom  were 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    rRELAND. 


235 


soon  united  certain  patriot  nobles  and  bishops.    The  English 
deputy  de  Warrane  fought  two  unsuccessful  campaigns  a^rainst 
these  leaders,  until  his  royal  master,  having  concluded  peace 
with  France,  summoned  his  Parliament  to  meet  him  at  York  and 
his  Norman-Irish  lieges  to  join  him  in  his  northern  camp  with 
all  their  forces  on  the  1st  of  March,  1299.     In  June  the  Enalish 
Kmg  found  himself  at  Roxburgh,   at  the  head  of  8.000  horse, 
and  80,000  foot,  "  chiefly  Irish  and  Welsh."     With  this  immense 
force  he  routed  Wallace  at  Falkirk  on  the  22d  of  July,  and  re- 
duced him  to  his  original  rank  of  a  guerilla  chief,  wandering 
with  his  bands  of  partizans  from  one  fastness  to  another     The 
Scottish  cause  gained  in  Pope  Boniface  VII.  a  powerful  advo- 
cate  soon  after,  and  the  unsubdued  districts  continued  to  obey  a 
Regency  composed  of  the  Bishop  of  St.  Andrews,  Robert  Bruce 
and  John  Comyn.    These  regents  exercised  their  authority  iJ 
the  name  of  Baliol,  carried  on  negotiations  with  France  and 
Rome,  convoked  a  Parliament,  and,  among  other  military  opera- 
tions,  captured  Stirling  Castle.    In  the  documentary  remains  of 
this  great  controversy,  it  is  curious  to  find  Edward  claiming  the 
entire  island  of  Britain  in  virtue  of  the  legend  of  Brute  the  Tro- 
jan, and  the  Scots  rejecting  it  with  scorn,  and  displaying  their 
true  descent  and  origin  from  Scota,  the  fabled  first  mother  of 
the  Milesian  Irish.    There  is  ample  evidence  that  the  claims  of 
kindred  were  at  this  period  keenly  felt  by  the  Gael  of  Ireland 
for  the  people  of  Scotland,  and  men  of  our  race  are  mentioned 
among  the  companions  of  Wallace  and  the  allies  of  Bruce     But 
the  Norman-Irish  were  naturally  drawn  to  the  English  banner 
and  when,  in  1303,  it  was  again  displayed  north  of  the  Tweed,  the 
usual  noble  names  are  found  among  its  followers.     In  1307 
Scotland  lost  her  most  formidable  foe,  by  the  death  of  Edward 
and  at  the  same  time  began  to  recognize  her  appointed  deliverer 
in  the  person  of  Robert   Bruce.     But  we  must  return  to  "  the 
Red  Earl,"  the  central  figure  in  our  own  annals  during  this  half 
century. 

Tlie  new  King,  Edward  T[.,  compelled  by  his  English  barons 
to  banish  his  minion,  Qaveston,  Earl  of  Cornwall,  had  created 
him  his  lieutenant  of  Ireland,  en  lowed  him  with  a  :nat  of  the 
royalties  of  the  whole  island,  to  the  prejudice  of  the  Earl  and 


336 


POPULAR    HI8T0EY    OF   IRELAND. 


toted  but  a  year-from  Jane,  1308,  till  the  Jane  folloKln^ 
Bnt  the  Red  Earl,  shanng  to  the  full  the  anti,«thy  of  the  great 

.2  a.  T    '      '•n'^'"  """'  """•  "•'  --'.  niainuined  a  C 
•tate  at  Tr,m,  m  Con.n,ander-i„.Chief,  conferring  knighthood 

nTffri       '"T".'  '^^'^  "  "''  "™  "--"-•    A  chat 
enge  of  battle  «  aad  to  have  passed  bet>.een  him  and  the  Lien 

tenant,  when  the  latter  was  recalled  into  England  bytheKn" 
"here  he  was  three  years  later  put  to  deatn  by  the  ba  „„,  1 
"hose  hands  he  had  fallen.  Sir  John  Wogau  and  2  Edm„„d 
Bntler  succeeded  him  in  the  Irish  adminisltation  ,  butfhe Tat 
power  long  remained  with  Bichard  de  Burgh.  He  w^  1 
pomted  penipotentiary  to  treat  with  Robert  BmoeonTeh,^ 

d  P  «es  ™L"/  ^°f "":  "•""'°  ""-'•  <«-«-  *e  Scotch 
aeputies  waited  on  him  in  Ireland."    In  the  vear  1^02  R,.„n. 

had  married  his  daughter,  the  Lady  EiChrC  h  s  Xe 

•  ?out  sTK-r  '°""r  "'  '"'™»'''  """  "»*»  became 
Countess  of  Ktldare  m  1312.  A  tliousand  marks-the  same 
.urn  a  which  .he  town  and  castle  of  Siigo  were  then  valued- 
Tva.  aUowed  by  the  Earl  for  the  marriage  portion  of  hi,  tat. 

p~ofher'2"'"-     •''^  "^"^  »*  Station,  l^'uVt 
penod  of  her  marriage,  were  at  the  fuU.    He  had  lon<r  held  the 

vl  ^rr"'"'"'  '"^  IrisH  force,,  "in  Irelandrs^lld 
tllwlrv"'''  ^«  "»"—"%  resisted  olveston  to 
the  meud.an  of  h.s  court  favor ;  the  father-in-law  of  a  Kin.  and 
o  Earls  of  almost  royal  power,  lord  paramount  of  haff  the 
isIand-such  a  subject  England  had  not  seen  on  Irish  ground 
smce  the  Invasion.    This  prodigious  power  he  retained;  ntue"! 

cLwT'f  ^T  ""  ■»»""-"-•    He  erected  ckstles  a 
Carhngford,  at  Sl.go,  on  the  Upper  Shannon,  and  on  Lough 
Foyle.    He  was  a  generous  patron  of  the  Carmelite  Order  f^r 

TrinTelv"  T.  *°  '"'"™"  °'  ^"«'-'™-  H»  ™  '••-d  -  a 
actonsfcally  c  osed  h,s  career  with  a  magnificent  banquet  at  Kil- 
kenny  where thewhole Parliament we,-ehis guests.  Havingreacb. 

aIZT    ..'""' '"'™  '""'■'""'^ '"'  -•»"•■«> '»  "•«  M™a»tery  of 
AthassU,  and  t.ere  expired  within  sight  of  his  family  vault,  .iter 


POPULAR    H1810RT    OP   IRELAND. 


237 


half  a  century  of  such  sway  as  was  rarely  eiyoyed  in  that  age,  even 
l>y  Kings.  But  before  that  peaceful  close  he  was  destined  to 
confront  a  storm  the  like  of  which  had  not  blown  over  Ireland 
during  the  long  period  since  he  first  began  to  peiform  his  part 
m  the  affairs  of  that  kingdom. 


-•♦•- 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  KORTHERX  IRISH  ENTER  INTO  ALLIANCE  WITH  KINO 
ROBERT  BR0CE-V4RRIVAL  AND  FJRST  CAMPAIGN  OF  EDWARD 
BRUCE* 

No  facts  Of  the  ages  over  which  we  have  already  passed  are 
better  authenticated  than  the  identity  of  origin  and  feeling 
which  existed  between  the  Celts  of  Erin  and  of  Albyn.    Nor  was 
this  sympathy  of  race  diminished  by  their  common  dangers  from 
a  common  enemy.     On  the  eve  of  the  Nwman  invasion  we  saw 
how  heartily  the  Irish  were  with  Somerled  and  the  men  of 
Moray  in  resisting  the  feudal  polity  of  the  successors  of  Malcolm 
Caen-More.     As  the  Plantagenet  Princes  in  person  led  their 
forces  against  Scotland,  the  interest  of  the  Irish,  especially  those 
of  the  North,  increased,  year  by  year,  in  the  struggles  of  the 
Scots.    Irish  adherents  followed  the  fortunes  of  Wallace  to  the 
close ;  end  when  Robert  Bruce,  after  being  crowned  and  seated 
m  the  chair  of  the  McAlpin  line,  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  of 
Scone,  had  to  flee  into  exile,  he  naturally  sought  refuge  where 
he  knew  he  would  find  friends.     Accompanied  by  three  of  his 
brothers,  several  adherents,  and  even  by  some  of  the  females  of 
his  family,  he  steered,  in  the  autumn  of  1306,  for  the  little  island 
of  Rathlin— seven  miles  long  by  a  mile  wide— one  point  of  which 
is  within  three  miles  of  the  Antrim  beach.    In  its  most  populous 
modern  day  Rathlin  contained  not  above  1,000  souls,  and  little 
wonder  if  its  still  smaller  population  five  centuries  ago  fled  in 
teiTor  at  the  approach  of  Bruce.     They  were,  however,  soon 
disarmed  of  their  fears,  and  agreed  to  supply  the  fugitive  Ki'  g 
daily  with  provisions  for  800  persons,  the  whole  number  who  «> 


If! 

i 


■I 


'A 


I 


mn 


'I-  ^ 


M 


338 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


11 


companied  or  followed  hiin  into  exile.     His  faithful  adherent* 
soon  erected  for  him  a  casLle,  commanding  one  of  the  few  land- 
ing places  on  the  island,  the  ruins  of  which  are  still  shown  to 
strangers  as  "  Bruce's  Castle."    Here  he  passed  in  perfect  safety 
the  winter  of  1306,  whila  his  emissaries  were  recruiting  in  Ulster, 
or  passing  to  and  fro,  in  the  intervals  of  storm,  among  the  west^ 
ern  islands.    Without  waiting  for  the  spring  to  come  round  again, 
they  issued   from   their    retreat  in  different   directions ;  "one 
body  of  700  Iiish  sailed  under  Thomas  and  Alexander,  the  King's 
brothers,  for  the  Clyde,  while  Robe^^  and  Edward  took  the  more 
direct  passage  towards  the  coast  of  Argyle,  and,  after  many  ad- 
ventures, found  themselves  strong  enough  to  attack  the  foreign 
forces  in  Perth  and  Ayrshire.     The  opportune  death  of  Ed- 
ward of  England  the  same  summer,  and  the  civil  strife  bred  by 
Ills  successor's  inordinate  favor  towards  Gaveston,  enabled  the 
Bruces  gradually  to  root  out  the  internal  garrisons  of  tlieir  ene- 
mies  ;  but  the  party  that  had  sailed,  under  the  younger  brothers, 
from  Rathlin,  were  attacked  and  captured  in  Loch  Ryan  by 
McDowell,  and  the  survivors  of  the  engagement,  with  Thomas 
and  Alexander  Bruce,  were  carried  prisoners  to  Carlisle  and 
there  put  to  death. 

The  seven  years'  war  of  Scottish  independence  waa  drawn  to 
a  close  by  the  decisive  campaign  of  1314.    The  second  Edward 
prepared  an  overwhelming  force  for  this  expedition,  summoning, 
ds  usual,  the  Norman-Irish  Earls,  and  inviting  in  different  lan- 
guago  his  •'  belovea"  cousins,  the  native  Irish  Chiefs,  no",  only 
such  as  had  entered  into  English  alliances  at  any  time,  but  also 
notorious  allies  of  Bruce,  like  O'Neil,  O'Donnell,  and  O'Kane. 
These  writs  were  generally  unheeded ;  we  have  no  record  of 
either  Norman-Irish  or  native-Irish  Chief  having  responded  to 
Edward's  summons,  nor  could  nobles  so  summoned  have  been 
present    without  some  record  remaining  of  the  fact.     On  the 
contrary  all  the  wishes  of  the  old  Irish  went  with  the  Scots,  and 
the  Normans  were  more  than  suspected  of  leaning  the  sam 
way.    Twenty-one  clans,  Highlanders  and  Islemen,  and  many 
Ulstermen,  fought  on  the  side  of  Bruce,  on  the  field  c  f  Bannucb- 
burn;  the  grant  of  "  KincarJine-O'Neil,"  made  ty  the  victor- 
King  to  his  Irish  followers,  remains  a  striking  evideiice  of  i\mi 


lili 


POPULAR    HT8T0RT    OF    IRELAND. 


239 


fidelity  to  his  person,  and  their  sacrifices  in  his  canse.  Tlie  re- 
sult of  that  glorious  day  was,  by  the  testimony  of  all  historians, 
Englisli  as  well  as  Scottish,  received  with  entlmsiasm  on  the 
Irish  side  of  the  channel. 

Whether  any  underu^anding  had  been  come  to  between  the 
northern  Irish  and   Bruce,  during  his  sojourn   in  Rathlin,  or 
ivheMiCi'  the   victory   of  Bannochburn   suggested   the  design, 
Edward  Bruce,  the  gallant  companion  of  all  his  brothei's  fortunea 
and  misfortunes,  was  now  invited  to  place  himself  at  tlie  head 
of  the  men  of  Ulster;  in  a  war  for  Irish  independence.     He  was  a 
soldier  of  not  inferior  fame  to  his  brother  for  courage  and  forti- 
tude, though  he  had  never  exhibited  the  higiier  qualities  ot  gen- 
eral and  statesman  which  crowned  the  glory  of  King  Robert. 
Yet  as  he  had  never  held  a  separate  command  of  consequence, 
his  rashness  and  obstinacy,  though  well  known  to  his  intimates, 
were  lost  sight  of,  at  a  distance,  by  those  who  gazed  with  achni- 
ration  on  the  brilliant  achievements,  in  which  he  had  certainly 
fiorne  the  second  part.     The  chief  mover  in  tlie  negotiatior.  by 
wliich  this  gallant  soldier  was  brought  to  embark  liis  fortunes  in 
an  Irish  war,  was  Donald,  Prince  of  Ulster.     Tliis  Prince,  whose 
name  is   so    familiar   from   his   celebrated    remonstrance   ad- 
dressed to  Pope  John  XXII.,  was  son  of  King  Brian  of  the 
battle  of  Down,  who,  half  a  century  before,  at  the  Conference 
of  Caeluisge,  was  formally  chosen  Ard-Righ,  by  the  nobles  of 
three  Provinces.     He  had  succeeded  to  the  principality — not 
without  a  protracted  struggle  with  the  Red  Earl— some  twenty 
years  before  the  date  of  the  battle  of  Bannochburn.   Endued  with 
an  intensely  national  spirit,  he  seems  to  have  fully  adopted  the 
views  of  Nicholas  McMaelisa,  the  Primate  of  Armagh,  his  early  co- 
temporary.    This  Prelate— one  of  the  most  resolute  opp  ments  of 
the  Norman  conquest — had  constantly  refused  to  instal  any  for- 
eigner in  a  northern  diocese.    When  the  Chapter  of  Ardagh 
delayed  their  election,  he  nominated  a  suitaWe  person  to  the  Holy 
See  ;  when  the  See  of  Meath  was  distracted  between  two  national 
parties  he  installed  his  nominee ;  when  the  Countess  of  Ulster 
caused  Edward  I.  to  issue  his  writ  for  the  installation  of  John, 
Bisiiop  of  Connor,  he  refused  his  acquiescence.     He  left  nearly 
every  See  in  his  Province  at  the  time  of  his  decease  (the  yoai 


^1 
iiil 


240 


1 


POPOLiR    HISTORV    OP   IBILAtfD. 


1803),  unflor  the  admlnlatraUo,,  of  a  nalive  .ccleslMtl,-     . 

.«,t  h,  mterfemnce  of  the  KinR,  of  Englaurt  in  U«  Dorainalion 

Rome.  In  the  Provinces  of  Ca8hel  and  Tuam,  in  the  fourtTnth 
eenlury,  we  do  not  often  And  a  foreign  born  Bi,h„p ,  ^^i  te  ' 
.^r  loub'e  elections  and  double  delegation,  to  Eome,  sZZ 

«  ;  t.  fci™""  "/  ,""  ''"''°*  "'^""'"^  McMaen.a'had  leted 
upon  he  clergy  of  the  next  age.  It  was  Donald  CNeil's  darling 
project ,.  establish  a  unity  of  action  against  the  co™™™  ,1? 
am""S  ".a  chiefs,  similar  to  that  which  the  Primate  had  brou",t 
about  among  the  Bishops.  His  o>vn  pretension,  to  the  soveretenll 
were  greater  than  that  of  any  Prince  of  his  age;  his  bZ  had 
g.venmore  n>o„archs  to  the  is,,and  than  any  otherVirf.ttr 
had  been  acknowledged  by  the  requisite  n,,j„rity ,  h  ,  c'u™t 

i«  «T; ::'  '"•'"'^'  ""^  ''"''"^'y  "o--  to"..  Lr  B ; 

pride  f^il"  r"-"'"''''^  "'  -"-l-""S  ".at  fatal  family 
hlv!  :,      «        ''"'■''™«'«'««  I'V  Bard,  and  Senachios,  which  w. 

system.    He  saw  chiefs,  proud  of  their  lineage  and  their  nnm„ 

^rnrtirp-rrrr'h"  "'"t-  ^^^^^^^ 
w..H.ehajsrhet::irrr:irrwirsr;; 

-™beiir;^drberd.%r:t::trt'^.rs 

could    not   have   e;;t;r:d  mind  TheTrrVVT'' 

«o  Verdun,  and  Edmund  Butler,  the  Lord  Denutv  "f ="""''■ 
ferring  >vi,,h  .„„,„,  „„^  „„„j„„^.^  Butkr  into  oL  t,  '°- 
^J-atched  back  in  ,a„  ha,te  to  defend^Uir'  ut; '  "ZZl 
there  fmo  U,  lose.    Edward  Bruce,  with  hi.  usual  Lpe.l;; 


i       I 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND, 


Ul 


without  -raiting  for  his  full  armament,  had  sailed  from  Ayr  with 
6,000  men  in  300  galleys,  accompanied  by  Thomas  Randolph 
Earl  of  Moray,  Sir  John  Stuart,  Sir  Philip  Moubray,  Sir  Fergus 
of  Androssan,  and  other  distinguished  knights.    He  landed  on 
the  25th  day  of  May,  Ul  \  in  the  Glendun  river,  near  Olenarm 
and  was  promptly  joined  by  Donald  U'Neil,  and  twelve  othe: 
chiefs.    Tlieir  flrst  advance  \vas  from  the  coast  towards  that 
angle  of  Loagh  Neagh,  near  which  stands  the  town  of  Antrim 
Here,  at  Rathraore,  in  the  plain  of  Moylinny,  they  were  ati 
tacked  by  the  MandeviUes  and  lavages  of  the  Ards  of  Down 
Whom  they  defeated.     From  Antrim  they  continued  their  route' 
evidently  towards  Dublin,  taking  Dundalk  and  Ardee,  after  a 
sharp  resistance.    At  Ardee  they  were  but  35  miles  north  of 
Dublin,  easy  of  conquest,  if  they  had  been  provided  with  siege 
trains— which  it  seemed  they  were  not 

While  Bruce  and  O'Neil  were  com'ing  up  from  the  north, 
Huah  ODonnell,  lord  of  Tyrconnell.  as  if  to  provide  occupa' 
tion  for  the  Earl  of  Ulster,  attacked  and  sacked  the  castle 
and  town  of  Sligo,  and  wasted  the  adjacent  country.    The  Earl 
on  hearing  of  the  landing  of  the  Scots,  had  mustered  his  forced 
at  Athlone,  and  compelled  the  unwilling  attendance  of  Felira 
O'Conor,  with  his  clansmen.     From  Athlone  he  directed  his 
march  towards  Drogheda,  where  he  arrived  with  "  20  cohorts  » 
about  the  same  time  that  the  Lord  Deputy  Butler  oame  up  with 
"  80  cohorts."     Bruce  unprepared  to  meet  so  vast  ^  force- 
taken  together  some  25,000  or  80,000  men-retreated  slowly 
towards  his  point  of  debarkation.     De  Bur;},,  who,  as  Com- 
mander-in-Chief,  took  precedence  in  the  field  of  the  Lord  Deputy 
ordered  the  latter  to  protect  Meath  and  Leinster,  while  he  pur' 
sued  the  enemy.    Bruce,  having  despatched  the  Earl  of  Moray  to 
his  brother,  was  now  anxious  to  hold  some  northern  position  where 
they  could  most  easily  join  him.     He  led  de  Burgh  therefore 
into  the  no>-th  of  Antrim,  thence  across  the  Bann  at  Coleraine 
breaking  down   the  bridge  at  that  poii  '.      Here  the  armies 
encamped   for  some  d  lys,   separated   by  the  river,  the  out- 
posts  occasionally  indulging  in  "  a  shooting  of  arrows."    By 
negotiation,  Bruce  and  O'Neil  succeeded  in  detaching  O'Conor 
from  de  Burgh.    Under  the  plea— which  roally  Iiad  sufficient 

mil 


\ 


242 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


W 


foundation— of  suppressing  an  liirtunoction  lieaded  by  .  jo  of 
hh  rivals,  O'Conor  returned  to  liis  own  country.     No  sc  ...jr  liad 
he  left  than  Bruce  assumed  the  otTensivo,  and  it  vva»  now  tiie 
Bed  Earl's  turn  to  fall  back.     They  retreated  t  )\rards  tne  casila 
of  Conyre  (probably  Connor,  near  Ballyrnena,  in  Antr.mV  where 
an  engagement  was  fought,  in  which  de  Burgh  was  (L-feated,  his 
brother  William,  Sir  John  Mandeville,  and  several  other  kiiiihts 
being  taken  prisoners.     The  Earl  continued  his  retreat  through 
Moath  towards  his  own  possession;  Bruce  followed,  capturing 
in  succession  Granard,  Penagh,  and  Keils,  celebrating  his  Christ- 
mas  at  Loughsweody,  in  Westmeath,  in  the  mi  1st  of  the  most 
considerable  chiefs  of  Ulster,  Meath,  and  Connaaght.     It  was 
probably  at  this  stage  of  his  progre  ;a  that  he  received  the  ad- 
hesion  of  the  Junior  branches  of  the  Lacles— the  chief  Norman 
family  that  openly  joined  his  standard. 

This  termination  of  his  flrst  campaign  on  Irish  soil  might  be 
considered  highly  favorable  to  Bruce.  More  than  half  the  clang 
had  risen,  and  others  were  certain  to  follow  their  example  ;  the 
clergy  were  almost  wholly  with  him ;  and  his  heroic  brother  had 
promised  to  lead  an  army  to  his  aid  in  the  ensuing  spring. 


■•♦• 


CHAPTER   Iir. 

BRrCE'S  SECOND  CAMPAION,  iND  CORONATION  AT  DDNDALK— 
THE  RISING  IN  CONNAUOHT  -BATTLE  OK  ATHENRY— KOBbRt 
BRUCE    IN   IRELAND. 

Prom  Loughsweedy,  Bruce  broke  up  his  quarters,  and  marched 
into  Kildare,  encamping  successively  at  Naas,  Kildare,  and 
Rathangan.  Advancing  in  a  southerly  direction,  he  found  an 
immense,  but  disorderly  Anglo-Irish  host  drawn  out,  at  the  moat 
of  Ardscull,  near  Athy,  to  dispute  his  march.  They  were  com- 
manded by  the  Lord  Justice  Butler,  the  Baron  of  Offally,  the 
Lord  Arnold  Poer,  and  other  magnates ;  but  so  divided  were 
these  proud  Peers,  in  authority  and  in  feeling,  that,  after  a 
•evere  skirmish  with  Bruce's  vanguard,  in  which  some  knights 


fOPCLAK    HISTORT    OF   IR«L*IfB.  843 

w«re  killed  on  b«tl>  ,i,le,,  ll,„y  relro.t«l  hefor,  th.  Hlh,r„„.8™t. 

:rz'orsz;;;r "  ■-'-"  — •  -  -^ 

A..imaled  by  ,l,o„  ,ucce.».,,,  won  In  their  „,W,(,  tl,o  clan,  of 
Le,™  or  l«„a„  in  .,uece»io„  to  .-ai^o  ti.eir  l,ea,l,.     Tho  .  Z  o 

««,  rallied  In  the  mounlain  glen,  to  whiel,  Ihey  l,a,|  ],„.„ 
d  ven,  a,K  con.menced  tl.al  !„„„  g„eri„a  ,„,  wWehd  '  " 
only  were  to  e«i„„„M,     i,,,  McMurroal,,,  .ton.  2  rwl"  of 

musteied  under  a  chief,  against  whom  tlie  Loi-d  Justice  >v«. 
Tie";: IoTd™™"  '"  ■»"""• '^'»-»  *»  ca.„ai/„  oTlR 
mine  of  OMoo.e,  slam  In  one  disastrous  encounter.  cri„i,l.d 
thus  ku  died  the  war,  i„  th,  „      ^^^^  „,  ^ 

tmced  his  marc  ,  through  Meath  and  Louth,  and  held  a  Du^ 
dalk  that  great  assembly  in  which  he  was  solemnly  elected 

ki  °   for      II  "'  "'"'"■"  "«  '"»'  ""^knowledged  native 

which  he  defends  m  his  celebrated  letter  to  Pone  John  XXII 

an  e  l^wirl      T'  \""'"'"""'  ''^'•"^^  ""•"  '"«  -"« 
and  r^L    .     """"""'""■  -'h™  «'«y  had  called  to  their  aid 
and  heely  chosen,  as  their  king  and  lord.    The  ceremonv  of  in- 

on  th.  hiil  of  Knocknenielan,  within  a  mile  of  Dundalk  while 
l.e  solemn  consecration  took  place  in  one  of  the  churches' of  tl, 
town  Surrounded  by  all  the  external  marks  of  roya  ,y  Brn  e 
established  his  court  in  the  castle  of  Northb„r,h  foL  „  T 
Co  ircys  or  de  Verdon's  fortresses,)  adjoining  DundLrw  lere 
1»  ook  cognizance  Of  all  pleas  that  were  br;ught  befl  hn 
At     at  moment  hi,  prospect,  compared  favorably  with  t ho  e  oj 

wue  nirded™'''  •  V"'  r-  ™^""-  '"^  A^,:," ::: , 

Oteily  divided  against  each  other;  while,  accordu.g  to  their 
(ont  declaration  of  loyalty,  signed  before  de  Hotimn  kZ 
Band's  special  agent,  "all  the  Irish  of  Ireland        eTa'l  „r  It 


«l 


\^-m- 


244 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRKLANB. 


krds,  and  many  English  people,"  had  given  in  theii'  adliesion  to 
Bruce.     In  Ulster,  except  Carrickfergus,  no  place  of  strength 
remained  m  the  hands  of  any  subject  of  Edward  of  England 
Tlie  ai-nv.l  of  supplies  from  Scotland  enabled  Bruce  to  resume' 
that  siege  in  the  autumn  of  1316,  and  the  castle,  after  a  heroic 
defence  by  Sir  Thomas  de  Mandeville,  was  surrendered  in  mid- 
Winter.     Here,  in  the  month  of  February,  1817,  the  new  Kin-  of 
Ireland  had  the  gratification  of  welcoming  his  brother  of  Scot- 
land,  at  the  head  of  a  powerful  auxiliary  force,  and  here,  ac- 
cording to  Barbour's  Chronicle,  they  feasted  for  three  days   in 
mirth  and  jollity,  before  entering  on  the  third  campaign  of  this 
war.  ^   " 

We  have  before  mentioned  that  one  of  the  first  successes  ob- 
tamed  by  Bruce  was  through  the  withdrawal  of  Felim  O'Conor 
from  the  Red  Earl's  alliance.    The  Prince  thus  won  over  to 
what  may  be  fairly  called  the  national  cause,  had  just  then  at- 
tamed  his  majority,  and  his  martial  accomplishments  reflected 
honor  on  his  fosterer,  McDermott  of  Moylurg,  while  they  filled 
with  confidence  the  hearts  of  his  own  clansmen.    After  his  se- 
cession from  de  Burgh  at  Coleraine,  he  had  spent  a  whole  year 
m  suppressrag  the  formidable  rival,  who  had  risen  to  dispute  his 
title.    Several  combats  ensued  between  their  respective  adher- 
ents.  but  at  length  Roderick,  the  pretender,  was  defeated  and 
slam,  and  Felim  turned  all  hi    energies  lo  co-operate  with  Bruce 
by  driving  the  foreigner  out  of  his  own  province.     Havin-  se' 
cured  the  assistance  of  all  the  chief  tribes  of  the  west^and 
established  the  ancient  supremacy  of  his  house  over  Breffi'ii  he 
first  attacked  the  town  of  Ballylahen,  in  Mayo,  the  seat  of  ^the 
family  of  de  Exeter,  slew  Slevin  de  Exeter,  the  lord  de  Co«an 
and  other  knights  and  barons,  and  plundered  the  town      At'the 
beginning  of   August  in  the  same  year,  in  pursuance  of  his 
plan,   Fehm  mustered  the  most  numerous   force  which  Con. 
naught    had    sent    forth,    since    the    days    of  Cathal    More. 
Under  his  leadership  marched  the  Prince  of  xMeath,  the  lord<  of 
Broffin,  Leyny,  Annally,   Teffla,   Hy-Maay,    and   Hy-Fiachra. 
with  their  men.     The  point  of  attack  was  the  town  of  Athenry     ' 
the  chief  fortified  stronghold  of  the  de  3urghs  and  Bermi,,.' 
hams  ai  that  region.    Its  importance  dated  from  the  reigu  ol 


POPULAR    HlSTOHr   OF   IRELAND. 


245 


King  John;  it  had  been  enriched  with  convents  and  strength, 
ened  by  towers ;  it  was  besides  the  burial  place  of  the  two  great 
Norman  families  just  mentioned,  and  their  descendants  felt  that 
before  the  walls  of  Athenry  their  possessions  were  to  be  con- 
firmed to  them  by  their  own  valor,  or  lost  forever.    A  decisive 
battle  was  fought  on  St.  Laurence's  day— the  10th  of  Aucrust— 
in  which  the  steel-clad  Norman  battalion  once  more  triumphed 
over  the  linen-shirted  clansmen  of  the  west.    The  field  was  con- 
tested with  heroic  obstinacy ;  no  man  gave  way ;  none  thought 
of  askinrr  or  giving  quarter.    The  standard  bearer,  the  personal 
guard,  and  the  Brehon  of  O'Conor  fell  around  him.    The  lords 
of  Hy-Many,  Teffla,  and  Leyny,  the  heir  of  the  house  of  Moy- 
lurg,  with  many  other  chiefs,  and,  according  to  the  usual  com- 
putation,  8,000  men  were  slain.    Felim  O'Conor  himself,  !n  the 
twenty-third  year  of  his  age,  and  the  very  morning  of  his  fame, 
fell  wif,h  the  rest,  and  his  kindred,  the  Sll-Murray,  were  left  fof 
a  seasv^n  an  easy  prey  to  William  de  Burgh  and  John  de  Ber- 
mingham,  the  joint  commanders  in  the  battle.    Tfie  spirit  of  ex^ 
aggeration  common  in  most  accounts  of  killed  and  wounded, 
has  described  this  day  as  fatal  to  the  name  and  race  of  O'Conor, 
who  are  represented  as  cut  off  to  a  man  in  the  conflict ;  the  di- 
rect line  which  Felim  represented  was  indeed  left  without  an 
immediate   adult  representative;   but   the    offshoots    of   that 
gi-eat  house  had  spread  too  far  and  flourished  too  vigorously  to 
be  shorn  away,  even  by  so  terrible  a  blow  as  that  dealt  at 
Athenry.    The  very  next  year  we  find  chiefs  of  the  name  mak- 
ing some  figure  in  the  wars  of  their  own  province,  but  it  is  ob. 
servable  that  what  may  be  called  the  national  party  in  Con- 
naught  for  some  time  after  Athenry,  looked  to  McDerraott  of 
Moylurg  as  their  most  powerful  leader. 

The  moral  effect  f  the  victory  of  Athenry  was  hardly  to  be 
compensated  for  by  the  capture  of  Carrickfergus  the  next  win- 
ter.  It  inspired  the  Anglo-Irish  with  new  courage.  De  Ber- 
mingham  was  created  commander-in-chief.  The  citizens  of 
Dublin  burned  their  suburbs  to  strengthen  their  means  of  de- 
fence. Suspecting  the  zeal  of  the  Red  Eari,  so  nearly  connected 
with  the  Bruces  by  marriage,  their  Mayor  proceeded  to  Saint 
Mary's  abbey  where  he  lodged,  arrested  and  confined  him  to  tb« 


Itii 


346 


POPCLAR    HISTOBT   OP   IBKtANDfc 


Tb^t'tJr  ;  .^'°^  ""  Birmingham  tower  wa,  added 

about  tlua  t,me,  and  the  st,-ength  of  the  whole  must  have  been 
great  when  the  skilful  leaders  who  had  carried   Stirliu.  al^d 

Xd',o  ,,     ?,°«^r  M""™"-.  afterwards  Earl  of  March,  nearly 

"eda  rZ    r  "r"f'  ^"^  M=M--o,hs  on  the  other' ar.. 

z':i::Tk:i:r"' "  •"'""'' '"°  --=-- »'  «>« 

Ba!d  ^tollT""  *""  O^'o™™*.  according  to  their  national 

land  to  theoher.  Their  destination  was  Munster,  which  populous 
provmce  had  not  yet  ratified  the  recent  elec  ion  Uteterand 
Meath  were  With  them;  Connaught,  by  the  hattie  of  A*  nr^! 

Edward  Bruce,  m  true  Gaelic  fashion,  decided  to  proceed  on  his 

TZTTT'r  7'""'  *'  "^"^''^^  "'  the'southern  ha  ! 
kmgdom.    At  the  head  of  20.000  men.  In  two  divisions   the 

b, .hers  marched  from  Carrickfergus ;  meeting,  with  the  exc  p! 

..ding  the  Place  zjzz:'^.::^^:^^^: 

was  e  t,me  at  that  season  of  the  year,  the  Hiber„;.Scottis    arn>y 
afl^r  occupymg  Castleknock,  turned  up  the  valley  of  the  Liff  v 
and  encamped  for  four  days  by  the  pleasant  waterfall  of  Le ixl  p' 
Prom  Le,xhp  to  Naas,  they  traversed  the  estate,  of  one  of"  f; 
active  foes,  the  new  made  Earl  of  Kildare,  and  from   Naas  tZ 

aHi .' t:i:r; '",  T"  '■■  °''°^^'  '^'""-" =p-4t:su:^ 

mlv   the  T    °,  n    ,  '^"°"'' '"  '^"'•y'"« ""'  '■'"<'=  of  anothe; 
enemy    the  Lord  Butler,  afterwards  Earl  of  Ormond.      Prom 

Callan  the.r  route  lay  to  Cashel  and  Ll„,erick,  at  each  of  wl    "h 

didTho'v  !  i  ^^  encountered  no  enemies  in  Munster  neither 
did  they  make  many  friends  by  their  expedition.  It  seem,  that 
on  further  ac,„aintance  rivalries  and  enmities  sprun. ,  p  bet«t„ 
the  two  nations  who  composed  the  army;  that  Edtvlrd  B  „c? 
«l.de  styling  himself  King  o,  Ireland,  ac'ted  moferke  a  vg":: 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF    IRELAND. 


247 


ous  conqueror  exhausting  his  enemies,  than  a  prudent  Prince 
careful  for  his  friends  and  adherents.     His  army  ia  accused,  in 
terms  of.  greater  vehemence  than  are  usually  employed  in  out 
cautious  chronicles,  of  plundering  churches  and  monasteries^ 
and  even  violating  the  tombs  of  the  dead  in  search  of  buried 
treasure.     The  failure  of  the  harvest,  added  to  the  effect  of  a 
threefold  war,  had  so  diminished  the  stock  of  food  that  num- 
bers perished  of  famine,  and  this  dark,  indelible  remembrance 
was,  by  an  arbitrary  notion  of  cause  and  effect,  inseparably  as- 
sociated  in  the  popular  mind,  both  English  and  Irish,  with  the 
Scottish  invasion.     One  fact  is  clear,  that  the  election  of  Dun- 
dalk  was  not  popular  in  Munster,  and  that  the  chiefs  of  Tliomond 
and  Desmond  were  uncommitted,  if  not  hostile  towards  Bruce's 
sovereignty.    McCarthy  and  O'Brien  seized  the  occasion,  indeed, 
while  he  was  campaigning  in  the  North,  to  root  out  the  last  re- 
presentative of  the  family  of  de  Clare,  as  we  have  already  re- 
lated, when  tracing  the  fortunes  of  the  Normans  in  Munster. 
But  of  the  twelve  reguli,  or  Princes  in  Bruce's  train,  none  are 
mentioned  as  having  come  from  the  Southern  provinces. 

This  visitation  of  Munster  occupied  the  months  of  February 
and  March.  In  April,  the  Lord  Justice  Mortimer  summoned 
a  Parliament  at  Kilkenny,  and  there,  also,  the  whole  Anglo-Irish 
forces,  to  the  number  of  30,000  men,  were  assembled.  The 
Bruces  on  their  return  northward  might  easily  have  bien  inter- 
cepted, or  the  genius  which  triumphed  at  Bannockburn  might 
have  been  as  conspicuously  signalized  on  Irish  ground.  But  the 
military  authorities  were  waiting  orders  from  the  Parliament, 
and  the  Parliament  were  at  issue  with  the  new  Justice,  and  so 
the  opportunity  was  lost.  Early  in  May,  the  Hiberno-Scottish 
army  re-entered  Ulster,  by  nearly  the  same  route  as  they  had 
taken  going  southwards,  and  King  Robert  soon  after  returned 
into  Scotland,  promi.^ing  faithfully  to  rejoin  his  brother,  as  soon 
as  lie  disponed  of  his  own  pressing  affairs.  Tlie  King  of  England 
ii  the  meantime,  in  consternation  at  tlie  news  from  Ireland,  ap- 
plied to  the  Pope,  then  at  Avignon,  to  exercise  his  influence  with 
the  Clergy  and  Chiefs  of  Ireland,  for  the  preservation  of  the 
English  interest  in  tliat  country.  It  was  m  answer  to  the  Papal 
rescripts  so  procured  that  Donald  O'Noil  despatched  his  cele- 


248 


POPULAR    HISTCRF    OF   IRKLAND. 


H 


brated  Kemonstrance,  which  the  Pontiff  enclosed  to  Edward  jr 
Avith  an  urgent  recommendation  that  the  wrongs  therein  recited, 
might  be  atoned  for,  and  avoided  in  the  future 


-•♦♦- 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BATTLE   OF   FAPGUARD   Ayo    DEATH   OP    KIi:^   EDWARP    BRPCF- 

C0N8eqi;e:,ces  of  his  invasion-extinction  op  the  EARr 

DOM  OP  ULSTER-IRISH  OPINION  OF  EDWARD  BRUCE. 

It  is  too  commonly  the  fashion,  as  well  with  historians  as  with 
others,  to  glorify  the  successful  and  censure  severely  the  unfor- 
unate.    No  such  feeling  actuates  us  in  speaking  of  the  charac 
ter  of  Edward  Bruce,  King  of  Ireland.     That  he  was  as  gallant 
a  knight  as  any  in  that  age  of  gallantry,  we  know ;  that  he  could 
confront  the  gloomiest  aspect  of  adversity  wiih  cheerfulness  we 
also  know     But  the  united  testimony,  both  of  history  and  tra- 
dition,  m  Ins  own  country,  so  tenacious  of  its  anecdotical  trea- 
sures,  describes  him  as  rash,  headstrong,  and  intractable,  be- 
yond  all  the  captains  of  his  time.    And  in  strict  conformity  with 
this  character  is  the  closing  scene  ot  his  Irish  career. 

The  harvest  had  again  failed  in  1317,  and  enforced  a  melan- 
cl.oly  sort  of  truce  between  all  the  belligerents.    The  scarcity 
was  not  confined  to  Ireland,  but  had  severely  afflicted  England 
and  Scotland,  compelling  their  rulers  to  bestow  a  momentary 
atention  on  the  then  abject  class,  the  tillers  of  the  soil.    But 
ho  summer  of  1318  brightened  above  more  prosperous  fields, 
from  which  no  sooner  had  each  party  snatched  or  purchased 
his  share  of  the  produce,  than  the  war-note  ag^ain  resounded 
through  all   the  four  Provinces.     On  the  part  of  the  An^lo. 
Irish  John  <le  Beimingham  was  confirmed  as  Commander^ir. 
Chief,  and  departed  from  Dublin  with,  according  to  the  cliro^l 
cles  of  the  Pale,  but  2,000  chosen  troops,  while  the  Scof-  .^i 
biographer  of  the  Bruces  gives  him  "20,000  trapped  hoi.. '• 
The  matter  may  certainly  be  considered  an  exaggemted  acoou  ^ 
fcnd  tne  former  musr,  be  equally  incorrect.    Judged  by  the  othef 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


249 


armaments  of  that  period,  from  the  fact  that  the  Normans  of 
Meath,  under  Sir  Miles  de  Verdon  and  Sir  Richard  Tuit,  were 
in  liis  ranks,  and  that  he  then  held  the  rank  of  Commander-in- 
Ohief  of  all  tlie  English  forces  in  Ireland,  it  is  incredible  that  de 
Bermingham  shorM  have  crossed  the  Boyne  with  less  that  eight 
or  ten  thousand  men.    Whatever  the  number  may  have  beeu 
Bruce  resolved  to  risk  the  issue  of  battle  contrary  to  the  advice 
of  all  his  officers,  p.nd  without  awaiting  the  reinforcements  hourly- 
expected  from  Scotland,  and  which  shoitly  after  the  engage- 
ment did  arrive.    The  native  chiefs  of  Ulster,  whose  counsel 
was  also  to  avoid  a  pitched  battle,  seeing  their  opinions  so 
lightly   valued,   are  said   to  have  withdrawn   from   Dundalk. 
There  remained  with  the  iron-headed  King  the  Lords  Mowbray, 
de  Soulis,  and  Stewart,  with  the  three  brothers  of  th»)  latter ; 
MacRory,  lord  of  the  Isles,  and  McDonala,  chief  of  his  clan. 
The  neighborhood  of  Dundalk,  the  sceyie  of  his  triumphs  and 
coronation,  was  to  be  the  scene  of  this  last  act  of  Bruce's  chi- 
valrous and  stormy  careei. 

On  the  14th  of  October,  1318,  at  the  hill  of  Faughard,  within 
a  couple  of  miles  of  Dundalk,  the  advance  guard  of  the  hostile 
armies  came  into  the  presence  of  each  other,  and  made  ready 
for  battle.  Roland  de  Jorse,  the  foreign  Archbishop  of  Armagh 
— who  had  not  been  able  to  take  possession  of  his  see,  though 
tppoinced  to  it  seven  years  before— accompanied  the  AngK)- 
Irish,  and  moving  through  their  ranks,  gave  his  benediction  to 
their  banners.  But  the  impetuosity  of  Bruce  gave  little  time 
for  preparation.  At  the  head  of  the  vanj>uard,  without  waiting 
for  the  whole  of  his  company  to  come  up,  he  charr,ed  the  enemy 
wiih  impetuosity.  The  action  became  general,  and  the  skill 
of  de  Bermingham  as  a  leader  was  again  demonstrated.  An  in- 
cident common  to  the  warfare  of  that  age  was,  howevei ,  the 
immediate  cause  of  the  victory.  Master'  John  de  Maupas,  a 
burgher  of  Dundalk,  believing  that  the  deatli  of  the  Scottish 
leader  would  be  the  signal  for  the  retreat  of  his  followers,  d  3- 
guised  as  a  jester  or  fool,  sought  liim  throughout  the  field.  One 
of  the  royal  esquires  named  Gilbert  Harper  wearing  the  sur- 
coat  of  his  master,  was  mi  taken  for  him,  and  sla'u ;  but  the  true 
leader  was  at  length  found  by  de  Maupas,  and  struck  dowi 


it-} 
I 


250 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


With  the  blow  of  a  leaden  plununet  or  slung-shot.    After  Hmi 
battle  when  the  field  was  searched  for  his  body,  it  was  found 
under  that  of  de  Maupas,  who  had  bravely  yielded  up  life  for 
hfe.    The  H.berno-Scottish  forces  dispersed  in  dismay,  and  when 
King  Robert  of  Scotland  landed  a  day  or  two  afterwards,  he 
was  met  by  the  fugitive  men  of  Carrick,  under  their  leader 
Thompson,   who  informed  him  of  his  brother's  fate.     He  re- 
turned  at  once  into  his  own  country,  carrying  off  the  few  Scot- 
tish sumvors.     The  head  of  the  impetuous  E  Iward  was  sent  to 
London;  but  the  body  was  Interred  in  the  churchyard  of  Faua. 
hard    where,   within  living   memory,   a   tall   pillar  stone   was 
pomted  out  by  every  peasant  of  the  neighborhood  as  marking 
the  grave  of  "  King  Bruce." 

The  fortunes  of  the  principal  actors,  native  and  Norman,  in 
the  mvasion  of  E  Iward  Bruce,  may  be  briefly  recounted  before 
cloMng  this  book  of  ouu  history.    John  de  Bermingham.  created 
for  Ins  former  victory  Baron  of  Athenry,  had  now  the  Earldom 
of  Louth  conferred  on  him  with  a  royal  pension.     He  promptly 
followed  up  his  blow  at  Faugh.rd  by  expelling  Donald  O'Neil 
the  mainspring  of  the  invasion,  from  Tyrona;  but  Donald,  after 
a  short  s.joura  arnonor  the  mountains  of  Fermanagh,  returned 
during  the  winter  and  resumed  his  lordship,  though  he  never 
wholly  recovered  frooi  the  losses  he  had  sustained.     The  new 
Earl  of  Louth  continued  to  hold  the  rank  of  Commander-in-Chief 
m  Ireland,  to  which  he  added  in  1322  that  of  Lord  Justice     He 
^vas  slain  in  1329,  with  some  200  of  his  personal  adherents,  in 
an  afTair  with  the  natives  of  his  new  earldom  at  a  place  called 
Ballybeagan.    He  left  by  a  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Ulster  three 
daughters;    the  title  was  perpetuated  in   the  family   of    his 
brothers. 

Jn  1319,  the  Earls  of  Kildare  and  Louth,  and  the  Lord  Arnold 
le  Poer,  were  appointed  a  commission  to  inquire  into  all  treasons 
committed  in  Ireland  during  Bruce's  invasion.     Amon^  other 
outlawries  they  decreed  those  of  the  three  de  Lacies,  the'  chiefs 
of  their  name,  in  Meath  and  Ulster.     That  illustrious  family 
however,  survived  even  this  last  confiscation,  and  their  descend- 
ants, several  centuries  later,  were  large  p-oprietors  in  the  mid 
land  couDtieg. 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


251 


Tl.ror,  years  after  the  battle  of  Faughard  died  Roland  de 
Jorse,  Archbishop  of  Armaab,  -  was  said,  of  vexations  arising 
out  of  Brace's  war.  and  other  difflcultles  wliich  beset  Hm  in 
takuig  possession  of  his  see.  Adam,  Bishop  of  Ferns  was 
depnvel  of  his  revenues  for  taking  part  with  Bruce,  and  the 
Friars  .  -nor  of  the  Franciscan  order,  were  severely  censured 
in  a  Papal  rescript  for  their  zeal  on  tlie  sn.me  side. 

The  great  fanuUes  of  Fitzgerald  and  Butler  obtained  their 
earldoms  of  Kildare,  Desmond  and  Ormond,  out  of  this  dan- 
gerous  crisis,   but  the  premier  earldom  of  Ulster  disappearea 
from  our  history  soon  afterwards.     Richard,  the  Red  Earl,  hav- 
ing  died  in  the  Monastery  of  Atha.sil,  in  1326,  was  succeeded 
by  his  sou,  William,  who,  seven  years  later,  in  consequence  of  n 
family  feud,  instigated  by  one  of  his  own  female  relatives  Gilla 
de  Burgh,  wife  of  Waltor  de  Mandeville,  was  murdered  at  the 
Fords,  near  Carrlckfergus,  in  the  21st  year  of  his  age.    nis  who 
Maud,  daughter  of  Henry  Plantagenet,  Earl  of  Lancaster,  fled 
into  England  with  her  infant,  afterwards  married  to  Lionel  Duke 
ot  Clarence,  son  of  King  Edward  HI.,  who  thus   Decanie  per- 
sonally  interested  in  the  system  whicn  ne  initialed  by  the  Odious 
Statute  of  Kilkenny.      Bu'   the  misfortunes  of  the  Red  Earl's 
posterity  did  not  end  with  the  murder  of  his  immediate  sue 
cessor.     Edmond  his  surviving  son,  five  years  subsequently,  was 
seized  by  his  cousin  Edmond,  the  son  of  William,  and  frowned 
in   Lough  xMask,  with  a  stone  about  his  neck.     The  posterity 
ot  William  de  Burgh  then  assumed  the  name  of  McWillium,  and 
renounced  the  laws,  language  and  allegiance  of  England.     Pro- 
fitting  by  their  dissensions,  Turlogh  O'Conor,  towards  the  middle 
of  the  century,  asserte.l  supremacy  over  them,  thus  praclisin- 
against  the  descendants  the  same  policy  which   the  first  do 
Burghs  had  success-ully  employed  among  the  sons  of  Ro.lerick. 
We  must  mention  here  a  final  consequence  of  Edward  Bruce's 
Invasion  seldom  referred  to,-namely,  the  character  of  the  treatv 
between  Scotland  and  England,  concluded  and  signed  at  Edin- 
burgh,  on  St.  Patrick's  Day,  132^     By  this  treaty,  after  arrang- 
ing an  intermarriage  between  the  royal  families,  it  was  stioulatod 
in  the  event  of  a  rebellion  against  Scotland,  in  Skye.  Alan  or 
the  Islands,  or  against  England,  in  Ireland,  thafc  Iha  several 


A 


252 


POPULAR    UrSTORT   OF   IRBLAND, 


Kings  would  not  abet  or  assist  each  other's  rebel  subjects.  R- 
-^embenng  th,s  article  we  know  not  what  to  „>ake  of  th  ent^ 
in  our  own  Annals,  which  states  that  Robert  Bruce  landed  «I 

^«d„ndi^„e„„  sacriflc,  were  ^l,  toXZi  ^Z' 
but  were  nu.de  in  Tata.  Hia  proverbial  richness  inbaule  °S 
to  tote  d«regard  of  the  „pi„i„„  „,  the  country  into  th  oh   * 

re™rhto^.h'"T.'-"''''"°"''»  "''»  ■"  *™'  "'"'-"^ 
receive  him  with  enthusiasm.    It  may  be  an  iiistnictive  lesson 

to  such  as  look  to  foreign  leaders  and  foreign  fo^sfi^r   Z 

mean,  of  national  deliverance  to  re«i  the  ter™  "iThid  t  le 

hative  Annalists  record  the  defeat  and  death  of  Edward  Bruc" 

No  achievement  had  been  performed  in  Ireland  for  a  W 

accrue  to  the  country  than  from  this."  "There  was  not  » 
better  deed  done  in  Ireland  since  the  banishment 7  .rF:rmo? 
'■ans,    «.ys  the  Annalist  of  Clonmacnoise  I    So  detestii  mTl 

^«  Jmr°'  f :'  '^°™'  ""»  °°'"'«-  the  fc^n^a^d 
Images  of  the  people  he  pretend,,  or  really  means  to  emwicloat. , 


BOOK    VI. 

THE  NATIVE,  THE  NATURALIZED,  AND 
"THE  ENGLISH  INTEREST." 


CHAPTER  I. 

civil.  WAR  IN  ENaLAND— ITS  EFFECTS  ON  THE  ANGL0-IBI8H— THl 
KNIQHTS  OP  SAINT  JOHN— GENERAI.  DESIRE  OF  THE  ANGLO- 
IRISH  TO  NATURALIZE  THEMSELVES  AMONG  THE  NATIVE  POPU- 
LATION—A POLICY  OP  NON-INTERCOCRSB  BETWEEN  THE  RACES 
RB80LV  jiD  ON,  lii  EI^GLAND. 

The  closing  years  of  the  reign  of  Edward  II.  of  Ijngland  wero 
endangered  by  the  -^ame  partiality  for  favorites,  which  had  dis- 
turbed its  beginning.  The  de  Spensers,  father  and  son,  played 
at  this  period  the  part  which  Gaveston  had  performed  twenty 
years  earlier.  The  Barons,  who  undertook  to  rid  their  country 
of  this  pampered  family,  had,  however,  at  their  head  Queen 
Isabella,  sister  of  the  King  of  France,  who  had  separated  from 
her  husband  under  a  pretended  fear  of  violence  at  his  haml!», 
but  in  reality  to  enjoy  more  freely  her  criminal  iiif«rcours<^  with 
her  favorite,  Mortimer.  With  the  aid  of  French  and  Flemish 
mercenaries,  tney  compelled  the  unhappy  Edward  to  fly  from 
London  to  Bristol,  whence  he  was  pursued,  captured,  and  after 
being  confined  for  several  months  in  different  fortresses,  was 
secretly  murdered  in  the  autumn  of  1827,  by  thrusting  a  red 
hot  iron  into  his  bowels.  His  son,  Edward,  a  lad  of  fifteen 
years  of  age,  afterwards  the  celebrated  Edward  III.,  was  pro- 
alauned  King,  though  the  substantial  power  remained  for  somn 
S2 


254 


POPtflAR    HISTORf   or    IRELAND. 


years   longer  with   Queen   Tsabellft    f>nA    i,«« 

.-r   their  guilty  prosperity  „•„,  ,„„,„.  ,,  ^  Z^^^^: 

y^  K../at  .;  a"  ZeirCnt  .^CCt:: 
•h.d,  M,rough  half  a  century's  continoance,  pru.  J.„  1^ 
indadvnitagoons  for  England.  "-u  so  gionuus 

•econd,  and  under  th,.  minority  of  the  U,lr,l  Pdw.i  1    , 
IH»h  Baron,  would  be  left  to  p'u  Jlllrbe?;':! roVn'^ 
tocu  ar  ,ntere,t,  and  enmities.    The  renewal  of  war  with  ZuanT  ■ 

.5eg^vt,.orahu.es  Of  e,e,  desorl^L:!!*  rr^^^^^^ 
of  those  who  had  invaded  Ireland,  under  the  pretext  ITT, 
reformation  both  i„  morals  and  government.    The      a  Ibuti  n 
of  an  anxihary  force  to  aid  him  in  his  foreign  wars  wa,  »n  7 
warhke  King  expected  from  his  lords  of  Irelamla'd  It  1 1 
a  pnce  they  were  well  pleased  to  bold  thei    p.,"  1  o„s " S 
h.s  guarantee.    At  Halidon  hill  the  Anglo-Frish   led  bv  SirTi 
Darcy,  distinguished  themselves  agains^the  S«,  s  „  1033.  !  h 
.t  the  Siege  of  Calais,  under  the  Ear,,  of  Kildare  and  De!mond 
they  acquired  additional  reputation  in  1847.    f  rom  th  s  time 
forward  it  became  a  settled  maxim  of  English  Xvtdr 
nattve  troops  out  of  Ireland  for  foreign  sirvte  ° nd^  f  h 
English  soldiers  into  it  in  time,  of  emergencv  "  - 

In  the  very  year  when  the  tragedy  of  F,Ur«rA  ,1.    a 
deposition  and  death  was  enacted    J  /    ,    .  *''™"'' '      ■ 

Bard,  the  Earl  summoned  ll  all  es  Te  Bu  lerra'^r  "  ' 
haras,  while  le  Poer  obtained  th«  .;<      e  u  B'^ung- 

the  de  Burghs    and    «Z    ,   /  ^''  ""'"^"''"^^  ^«^^"^««. 

jjurgas,  and    several  desperate  conflicts    tnnt  ^i 
between  them     The  Pari  «f  b-i  -         .    ^"°"'^^^    *^ook  placo 
em.    Ihe  Earl  of  KUaare,  then  deputy,  summoned 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELANl. 


255 


both  parties  to  meet  him  at  Kilkenny,  but  le  Peer  and  William 
de  Burgh  fled  into  England,  while  the  victory,  instead  of  obey- 
ing the  deputy's  sunimon.s,  enjoyed  themselves  fn  ravaging  hig 
estate.  The  following  year  {A.  D.  1328),  le  Poer  and  de  Burgh  ' 
returned  from  England,  and  were  reconciled  with  Desmond  and 
Ormond  by  the  mediation  of  the  new  deputy,  Roger  Outlaw, 
Prior  of  the  Knights  of  the  Hospital  at  Kilraainham.  In  honor 
of  this  reconciliation  de  liurgh  gave  a  banquet  at  the  castle,  and 
Maurice  of  Desmond  reciprocated  by  another  the  next  day,  in 
St.  Patrick's  Church,  though  it  was  then,  as  the  Anglo-Irish 
Annalist  remarks,  the  peni  ontial  season  of  lent.  A  work  of 
peace  and  reconciliation,  calculated  to  spare  the  effusion  of 
Christian  blood,  may  have  been  thought  some  justification  for 
this  irreverent  use  of  a  consecrated  edifice. 

The  mention  of  the  Lord  Deputy,  Sir  Roger  Outlaw,  the 
second  Prior  of  his  order  though  not  the  last,  who  wielded  the 
highest  political  power  over  the  English  settlements,  naturally 
leads  to  the  mention  of  the  establishment  in  Ireland,  of  the  illus- 
trious orders  of  the  Temple  and  the  Hospital.  The  first  founda- 
tion of  the  elder  order  is  attributed  to  Strongbow,  who  erected 
for  them  a  castle  at  Kilmainham,  on  the  high  ground  to  the  south 
of  the  Liffey,  about  a  mile  distant  from  the  Danish  wall  of  old 
Dublin.  Here,  the  Templars  flourished,  for  nearly  a  century  and 
n  half,  until  the  process  for  their  suppression  was  instituted  under 
Edward  II.,  in  1308.  Thirty  membe.-s  of  the  order  were 
Imprisoned  and  examined  in  Dublin,  before  three  Dominican 
inquisitors— Father  Richard  Balbyn,  Minister  of  the  Order  of  St. 
Dominick  in  Ireland,  Fathers  Philip  de  Slane  and  Hugh  de  St. 
Loger.  The  decision  arrived  at  was  the  same  as  in  France  and 
England ;  the  order  was  condemned  and  suppressed  j  and  their 
Priory  of  Kilmainham,  with  sixteen  benefices  in  the  diocese  of 
Dublin,  and  several  others,  in  Ferns,  Meath,  and  Dromore,  passed 
to  the  succeeding  order,  in  1311.  The  state  maintained,  by  the 
Priors  of  Kilmainham  in  tlieir  capacious  residence  often  rivalled 
that  of  the  Lords  Justices.  But  though  their  rents  were  ample, 
they  did  not  collect  them  without  service.  Their  house  might 
justly  be  regarded  as  an  advanced  fortress  on  the  south  side  of 
the  city,  constantly  open  to  attacks  from  the  mountaia  tribes  n# 


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959 


POPULAR   BISTORT   OF  IRELAND. 


1 1 

Wickl6w.  Althongh  their  vows  wfire  for  tie  Holy  Land,  they 
were  ever  ready  to  march,  at  the  call  of  the  English  Deputies, 
and  their  banner,  blazoned  with  the  Agnus  Dei,  waved  over  the 
bloodiest  border  frays  of  the  XlVth  century.  The  Priors  of 
Kilmainham  sat  as  Baron&  in  the  Parliaments  of  "  the  Pale,"  and 
the  office  was  considered  the  first  in  ecclesiastical  rank  among 
the  regular  orders. 

During  the  second  quarter  of  this  century,  an  extraordinary 
change  became  apparent  in  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
descendants  of  the  Normans,  Flemings,  and  Cambrians,  whose 
ancestors  an  hundred  years  earlier  were  strangers  in  the  land." 
Instead  of  intermarrying  exclusively  among  themselves,  the  pre- 
vailing fashion  became  to  seek  for  Irish  wives,  and  to  bestow 
their  daughters  on  Irish  husbaiids.    Insteikd  of  clinging  to  the 
language  of  Normandy  or  England,  they  began  to  cultivate  t'he 
native  speech  of  the  country.    Instead  of  despising  Irish  law, 
every  nobleman  was  mow  anxious  to  have  his  Brehon,  his  Bard, 
and  his  Seuachie.    The  children  of  the  Barons  were  given  to  be 
fostered  by  Milesian  mothers,  and  trained  in  the  early  exercises 
so  minutely  prescribed  by  Milesian  education.    Kildare,  Ormond, 
and  Desmond,  adopted  the  old  military  usages  of  exacting 
"  coyne  and  livery" — horse  meat  and  man's  meat — from  their 
feudal  tenants.    The  tie  of  Qossipred,  one  of  the  most  fondly 
cherished  by  the  native  population,  was  multiplied  between  the 
two  races,  and  under  the  wise  encouragement  of  a  domestic 
dynasty  might  have  become  a  powerful  bond  of  social  union. 
In  Connaught  and  Munster  where  the  proportion  of  native  to 
naturalized  was  largest,  the  change  was  completed  almost  in  a 
generation,  and  could  never  afterwards  be  wholly  undone.    In 
Ulster  the  English  element  in  the  population  towards  the  end 
of  this  century  was  almost  extinct,  but  in  Meath  and  Leinster, 
and  that  portion  of  Munster  immediately  bordering  on  Meath 
and  Le;r>ster,  the  process  of  amalgamation  required  more  time 
than  the  policy  of  the  Kings  of  England  allowed  it  to  obtain. 

The  first  step  taken  to  counteract  their  tendency  to  Hiberni- 
eize  themselves,  was  to  bestow  additional  honors  on  the  gre«it 
families.  The  baronry  of  Oflklly  was  enlarged  into  the  eafldora 
of  Kildare;  the  lordship  of  Carrick  into  the  earldom  of  Crmond| 


POPULAR   HT8T3RT  OT  IRILAND. 


907 


the  title  of  Desmon  d  was  conferred  on  Manrioe  Fitz-Thoma> 
Fitzgerald,  and  that  of  Louth  on  the  Baron  de  Bermingham. 
Nor  were  they  empty  honors;  they  were  accompanied  with 
something  hetter.  The  "  royal  liberties"  were  formally  conced- 
ed, in  no  less  than  nine  great  districts,  to  their  several  lords. 
Those  of  Carlow,  Wexford,  Kilkenny,  Kildare,  and  Leiz,  had 
been  inherited  by  the  heirs  of  the  Earl  Marshal's  five  daughters  j 
four  other  counties  Palatine  were  now  added — Ulster,  Meath, 
Ormond,  and  Desmond.  "  The  absolute  lords  of  those  palatin- 
»i*«s,"  says  Sir  John  Davis,  "  made  barons  and  knights,  exercised 
High  justice  within  all  their  territories ;  erected  courts  for  civil 
and  crimhial  causes,  and  for  their  own  revenues,  in  the  same 
form  in  which  the  king's  courts  were  established  at  Dublin ;  they 
constituted  their  own  judges,  seneschals,  sherififs,  coroners,  and 
escheators.  So  that  the  king's  wtits  did  not  run  in  their  coim- 
ties,  which  took  up  more  than  two  parts  of  the  English  colony ; 
but  ran  only  in  the  church-lands  ly'wp.  within  the  same,  which 
were  therefore  called  thb  Crosse,  wherein  the  Sheriff  was 
nominated  by  the  King.  By  "  high-justice"  is  meant  the  power 
of  li^j  and  death,  which  was  hardly  consistent  with  even  a  sem- 
blance of  subjection.  No  wonder  such  absolute  lords  should 
be  found  little  disposed  to  obey  the  summons  of  deputies,  like 
Sir  Ralph  Ufford  and  Sir  John  Morris,  ncen  of  merely  kinghtly 
rank,  whose  equals  they  had  the  power  to  create,  bv  the  touch 
of  their  swords. 

For  a  season  their  new  honors  quickened  ths  dormant  loyalty 
of  the  recipients.  Desmond,  ac  the  head  of  10,000  men,  joined 
the  l<^rd  deputy,  Sir  John  Darcy,  to  suppress  the  insurgent 
tribes  of  South  Leinster ;  the  Earls  of  Ulster  and  Ormond  uni- 
ted their  forces  for  an  expedition  into  Westmeath  against  the 
brave  McQeoghegans  and  their  allies ;  but  even  -these  services — 
so  complicated  were  public  and  private  motives  in  iha  breasts  of 
the  actors— did  not  allay  the  growing  suspicion  of  what  were 
commonly  called  "  the  old  English,"  in  the  minds  of  tbo  Eng- 
lish King  and  his  council.  Their  resolution  seems  to  have  been 
fixed  to  entrust  no  native  of  Ireland  with  the  highest  office  in 
bis  own  country  ;  in  accordance  wiih  which  decision  Sir  An- 
thony Lucy  was  appointed,  (1881 ;)  Sir  John  Darcy,  (1332-84; 


258 


POPDLAR  msTOBr  or  mkuhd. 


"gain  in  1341 ;)  and  Sir  Ralph  Ufford  flMa  i»^«  ^    ,> 
Incumbency  of  ti.ese  English  k„2  tT,l       '^    Dnringth. 

rrercnt,  botli  by  tlie  exorois.  of  „7,  »"«°>Pts  »ero  made  to 
tion,  .1.0  f„.i„/„,  racTXh  was  rrir'  f"'""'  "^'""- 
U>at  ago.    And  althou»l^  aZ  11^ T  '  ""■'"""^^  «' 

fl.e  r^ommoncomentofwfr  ^thl^2  .""^.f "°"'''""«''  °" 
«'  *oir  nlility  had  seized  L',.  7  '"  ''*''  "■»  "»■"'!''«»■• 
Edward  III.  L  be  wh^aMnd tj'^r  ""  ''"'"'■°-  «"'  <" 
(.860  gave  him  leisure  to  turn  a.rhis  fh  "T  °'  "™'"«°' '" 
lion.  The  following  year  hll^T  i  ""*'"'  '"  "■»'  ^'"^ 
»f  Clarence  and  LTofuTlT  'f* '°"' "°°'''- »"'''' 
Wdly  announced  his  obj^t  J^t '.h  .  ?f'  "'  ""  "''»•>  ""» 
«e  camps,  of  .he  twopop'^f^':."'*  ""^  "^^""""-  '■"»  *- 
This  first  attempt  to  enforon  nr.n  .v* 

«ves  and  the  naturalized  dZv^ZTrT" ,'*"'"°  ""  °»- 
•ppears  to  have  begun  In  .hi!         J   P""™'"  mention.    It 

«.e  King's  OouncH;  "o*;^::!:  "  A  ttr""^  '""'■  ""» 
"Inch  it  was  threatened  that  If  ^?.-  °'''  °'  ^'^O"^"  in 

attentive  in  dischar^tf, tlil  ?  ,      7' """"'^  "«"  ■•°' "■"■'e 

«nld  resume  into  hTsown  Tands  "i^Ubo""*  '^^  "^  ""J-'^ 
6y  his  myal  ancestors  or  himself  1  1 1,  ^^^  ""'"'»  "»  ""»"> 
ofdeb(«dueto  the  Crown  wSr/v  "  ™''»''™  I'"*'"""" 
From  some  motive,  .her.Jct,  f™"  «>™»'-'5' «n,itt«i. 

pnblic,  W  «main a'deldlett  "  mT    ^"''' ""^^ "^"^ ""•"« 
Edward's  eonfldential  a^euMn   '1-  """'' "' "'''•'=^- 

Bnglisb  and  Irish.    Thev  werl    "T  •   T"^"'  '"".aactions. 
Pliasis  by  this  deoutt  „I  °™<^'»'"'«d  "ill"  additional  ,m- 

at  Bubu!;,  to »!:::- trerr,r;h?:r'"^ ''°"°"" 

new  ordinance  came  from  Pnrf.„7'     .        ™'  y'"'  1342,  a 
Ploymentof  men  bornT  f  afrfed  '  "''"""""^  '"^  >»">'"=  «">- 
land,  and  declarLThat  aTl  1.'  "' J"""^'"^  "««'es  in  Ire- 
that  country  by  "flt  EntlNh         ,        ""'*  *™'<'  >«  W^  In 
benefices  in'  Engla„d^°^'t  ^  "'""  J"""''  **"="-"*-■  -"     - 
Anglo-Irish,  a,  w°e.ltownsn^„r;  ":="'"«    P^"'""""""   ">« 
'e^istance,  and  by  the  convTc^tl  of  !»  T1"^  "  '"*'"  "^''^ 
""nd,  and  Kildare,  they  a^^^  '^°,''r  ">/ "»»"«'"''.  Or- 

tilkenny.    A<=cordto"Iy  wS^°°ln  "!f' '  '"  """  P"T«>^«.  "' 
'n„iy.  What  IS  called  Darcy's  Parliament,  met 


POPULAR    HIBFORT    OF   IRELAND. 


250 


at  Dublin  in  October,  while  Desmond's  rival  assembly  gathered 
at  Kilkenny  in  November.    The  proceedings  of  the  former,  if  it 
agreed  to  any,  are  unrecorded,  but  the  latter  despatched  to  the 
King,  by  the  hands  of  the  Prior  of  Kilmainham,  a  Remonstrance 
couched  m  Norman-Prench,  the  court  language,  in  which  they 
reviewed  the  state  of  the  country ;  deplored  the  recovery  of  so 
large  a  portion  of  the  former  conquest  by  the  old  Irish ;  accused, 
m  round  tei-ms,  the  successive  English  officials  sent  ioto  the  land, 
with  a  desire  suddenly  to  enrich  themselves  at  the  expense 
both  of  sovereign  and  subject;  pleaded  boldly  their  own  loyal 
services,  not  only  in  Ireland,  but  in  the  French  and  Scottish 
wars;  and  finally,  claimed  the  protection  of  the  Great  Charter, 
that  they  might  not  be  ousted  of  their  estates,  without  being 
called  in  judgment.     Edward,  sorely  in  need  of  men  and  sub- 
sidies  for  another  expedition  to  France,  returned  them  a  concilia- 
tory answer,  summoning  them  to  join  him  in  arms,  with  theii 
followers,  at  an  early  day  ;  and  although  a  vigorous  effort  was 
made  by  Sir  Ralph  Ufford  to  enforce  the  articles  of  1331,  and 
the  ordinance  of  1341,  oj  the  capture  of  the  Earls  of  Desmond 
and  Kild  re,  and  by  military  execution  on  some  of  their  follow- 
ers, the  policy  of  non-intercourse  was  tacitly  abandoned  for  some 
years  after  the  Remonstrance  of  Kilkenny.    In  1353,  under  the 
lord  deputy,  Rokeby,  an  attempt  was  made  to  revive  it,  but  it 
was  quickly  abandoned,  and  two  years  later,   Maurice',   Earl 
of   Desmond,  the    leader    of  the  opposition,  was    appointed 
to    the    office    of    Lord    Justice    for    Ufe !      Unfortunately 
that  high-spirited  nobleman    died  the   year  of  his  appoint- 
ment before  its  effects  could    begin  to  be  felt.     The  only 
legal  concession  which  marked  his  period  was  a  royal  writ 
constituting  the  "  Parliament"  of  the  Pale  the  court  of  last  re- 
sort for  appeals  from  the  decisions  of  the  King's  courts  in  that 
province.    A  recurrence  to  the  former  favorite  policy  signalized 
the  year  1357,  when  a  now  set  of  ordinances  were  received  from 
London,  denouncing  the  penalties  of  treason  against  all  who 
intermarried,  or  had  relations  of  fosterage  with  the  Irish ;  and 
proclaiming  war  upon  all  kerns  and  idle  men  found  \nthia  the 
English  districts.    StUl  severer  measures,  in  the  same  divwoUou^ 


II  ■'' 


260 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRHLAND. 


Before  relating  the  farther  history  of  this  penal  code  as  annlferl 

their  birth.    T-me  also  h^^H?         •  ^""  P°''^'''°"«  «"^ 

t-  i^ctri  nicnara,  or  the  captains  who  accoraDanied  Rinc 

which,  judged  from  onrJ^^^f  T^     '^  ^^™"^  dependence. 


Y-:': 


VOPULAR   BISTORT    OF   IRXLAND. 


26] 


CHAPTER  II. 

MOWBL,  DtTKB  OF  OLARBNCB,  LORD  LIBOTEirAirT— THB  PEKAli 
CODE  OP  RACE—"  THE  STAT0TB  OP  KILKEKNY ,"  AKD  SOME  OP 
ITS   COKSBQUBNCEB, 

While  the  grand  experiment  for  the  separation  of  the  popu- 
lation Of  Ireland  into  two  hostile  camps  was  being  matured  in 
England,  the  Earls  of  Kildare  and  Ormond  were,  for  four  or  five 
years,  alternately  entrusted  with  the  supreme  power.  Fresh 
ordinances,  in  the  spirit  of  those  despatched  to  Darcy,  in  1342, 
contirmed  annually  to  arrive.  One  commanded  all  lieges  of  the* 
English  King,  having  grants  upon  the  marches  of  the  Irish 
enemy,  to  reside  upon  and  defend  them,  under  pain  of 
revocation.  By  another  entrusted  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond  for 
promulgation,  "  no  mere  Irishman"  was  to  be  made  a  Mayor  or 
bailiff,  or  other  officer  of  any  town  within  the  English  districts ; 
nor  was  any  mere  Irishman  "  thereafter,  under  anv  pretence  of 
kindred,  or  from  any  other  cause,  to  be  received  into  holy  order- 
or  advanced  to  any  ecclesiastical  benefice."  A  modification  of 
this  last  edict  was  made  the  succeeding  year,  when  a  royal  writ 
explained  that  exception  was  intended  to  be  made  of  such  Irish 
clerks  as  had  given  individual  proofs  of  their  loyalty. 

Soon  after  the  peace  of  BreUgni  had  been  solemnly  mtifled  at 
Calais,  in  1360,  by  the  Kings  of  Prance  and  England,  and  the 
latter  had  returned  to  London,  it  was  reported  that  one  of  the 
Princes  would  be  sent  over  to  exercise  the  supreme  power  at 
Dubhn.  Asno  member  of  the  royal  family  had  visited  Ireland 
smce  the  reign  of  John-though  Edward  I.,  when  Prince,  had 
been  appointed  his  lather's  lieutenant-this  announcement  natu- 
roily  excited  unusual  expectations.  The  Prince  chosen  was  the 
Kmg's  third  son,  Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence ;  and  every  prepara- 
tion  was  made  to  give  eclai  and  effect  to  his  administration. 
This  Pnnce  had  married,  a  few  years  before,  Elizabeth  de 
Burgh,  who  brought  him  the  titles  of  Earl  of  Ulster  and  Lord  oi 
Connaught,  with  the  claims  which  t,lie;  covered.    By  a  procU- 


S62 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


matlon,  issued  in  England,  all  who  held  posaesslons  in  Ireland 
were  commanded  to  appear  before  the  King,  either  by  proxy  or 
in  persoMo  take  measures  for  resisting  tl)e  continued  encroach- 
ments  of  the  In.h  enemy.    Among  the  absentees  compelled  to 

uITm   ^  'n   ''^"''"'"  •'accompanying  the  Prince.  L  men- 
tioned  Mana.  Countess  of  Norfolk,  Agnes,  Countess  of  Pem- 
broke, Margery  de  Roon,  Anna  le  Despenser,  and  other  noble 
ad.es,  who    by  a  strange  recurrence.  rei,resented  in  this  a^e 

pt  ^cT  T'  '^"''  ^'''  ^""'^  ^^''^^^'  granddaughters  ^f 
Eva  McMurrogh.  What  exact  force  was  equipped  from  all  these 
contributions  .s  not  mentioned  ;  but  the  Prince  arrived  in  Ireh.nd 

Larl  of  SU-aff.>rd,  James,  Earl  of  Ormond,  Sir  William  Windsor. 
S.r  John  Carow,  ami  oti.or  knights.    He  landed  at  Dublin  on 
the  15th  of  September,  13(J1,  and  reraai.-.ed  in   office  fof  three 
years.    On  landing  he  issued  a  i,roclamalion.  prohibiting  natives 
of  the  country,  of  all  origins,  from  approaching  his  camp  or 
court,  and  having  hiade  this  hopeful  beginning  he  marched  with 
his  troops  into  Manster.  where  he  was  defejted  by  O'Brien  and 
compelled  to  retr.at.     Yet  by  the  flattery  of  courtiers  he  was 
saluted  as  the  conqueror  of  Clare,  and  took  from  the  supposed 
fact  h,s  title  of  Clarence,    But  no  adulation  could  blind  him 
to  the  real  weakness  of  his  position  ;  he  keenly  felt  the  injurious 
consequences  of  his  proclamation,  revoked  it.  and  endeavored 
to  remove  the  impression  he  had  made,  by  conferring  kni-ht- 
hood  on  the  Prestons.  Talbots,  Cusacks,  De  la  Hydes,  and  mem- 
hers  of  other  families,  not  immediately  connected   with   the 
Palatine  Earls.     He  removed  the   Exchequer  from  Dublin  to 
Carlow.  and  expended  600  pounds-a  large  sum  for  that  a^e- 
in  fortifying  the  town.    The  barrier  of  Leinster  was  established 
at  Carlow.  from  which  it  was  removed,  by  an  act  of  the  Encrlish 
larliaraent  ten  years  afterward.;  the  town  and  castle  werl  re- 
takon   in    1397,  by  the   celebrated  Art   McMorrogh,  and   lona 
remained  in  the  hands  of  his  yostc-riiy. 

In  1364,  Duke  Lionel  went' to  England,  leaving  de  Windsor  as 
his  deputy,  but  in  1365,  and  again  in  1367,  he  twice  returned  to 
his  government.  This  'atter  year  is.memorable  as  the  date  of 
Ihe  second  great  stride  towards  the  estabUshment  of  a  Peual 


POPULAR    HIBTORT    OF    IRELAND.  263 

Code  of  race,  by  the  enactment  of  the  "Statute  of  Kilkenny  " 

Intended  to  serve  a,  the  corner  stone  of  all  future  le^i  Imion 
a^  ^prov.s.ons  are  deserving  of  enumeration.    The  Act    e^ 

«  ed  the  E  1-  7  r     "'  ""'  ''^^'■'  ^'"  ^"'"«h  «^  ^he  sal.l  land 
used  the  Enghsh  language,  mode  of  ri.ling.  and  nnparel  and 

BeTir";'n"'  "'^''  •'"^'^  ^^^^-'^  ^'-'^  sub    cts  ca     d 
Betaghese.  (v.lleins,)  according  to  English  law,  &c    &c  -Z 

now  many  English  of  the  said  land,  forsaking  -  fEnt  :,. ,    ' 

guage  manners,  mode  o/ riding,  laws,  and  usages,  live  an  1  «o 

of  the  Insh  enemies,  and  also  have  made  divers  marriages  a,^ 
a  hances  between  themselves  and  the  Irish  enemies  afo  es'a  ,-U 
is  therefore  enacted,  among  other  provisions,  that  all  inter,  rr 
a8es.fostenngs.gossipred,andbuyingorsellingwiththe'enemie 
m  nersirr    ^''^^T"^'-^  ^"«"«»>  "-es.  fashions,  and 
tTdZJ      ..    ,  7'"'^  ""'^'''  ^'"""''y  ^'  ^he  conflscatiun  of 
he  dehnquent's  lands-that    March-law  and    Brehon-law  are 

eTcII,  i  1,  r  "''  "'^"'  "^""'^  "^  ^"«"^h  lands-that  the 
Enghsh  shall  not  entertain  Irish  rhymers,  min.trels,  or  newsmen- 
and.  moreover,  that  no  « mere  Irishmen,' shall  be  admitted  t6 

Kifkllt  """'f  '^  '^'''  ''''"  "''^"^^'^  ^'  '^'^^  Parliament  of 

Ormond  and  Desmond,  were  of  the  number  need  hardly  surpri.^ 
us,  alarmed  a.  they  all  were  by  the  late  successes  of  L  nLtirl 

fo^      H       K,      '''^'"^  ^'''^'''•'^-    ^^^'  ^^'^  at  firstseem  in- 

of  Cashel  and  Tuam-in  the  heart  of  the  Irish  country-and 
he  Bishops  o  Leighlin,  Ossory,  Lismore,  Cloyne  and  Killala, 
should  be  parties  to  this  statute.  But  on  closer  inspection  ou; 
BUi-prise,  at  the.r  presence,  disappears.  Most  of  these  prelates 
were  at  that  day  no.ninees  of  the  English  King,  and  many  of 
them  were  English  by  birth.     Some  of  them  never  had  poL, 


2204 


POPULAR   UlbTORV    OF   IRKLANU. 


■ion  of  their  Sees,  but  dwelt  within  the  nearest  strong  town^ 
an  pensioners  on  the  bounty  of  tlie  Crown,  wliile  the  dioceses 
were  administered   by  native  rivals,  or  tolerated  vicars.      Le 
Reve,   Bishop  of    Lismore,    was  Chancellor  to  the   Duke  in 
1387;    Young,  Bishop  of  Leighlin,    was  Vice-Treasurer,   tbo 
Bishop  of  Ossory,  John  of  Tatendale,  was  an   English  Au- 
gustinian,  wliose  appointment  was  disputed  by  Milo  Sweetman, 
tlie native  Bisliop  elect;  the  Bishop  of  Cloy ne,  John  de  Swaa- 
ham,  was  a  Carmelite  of  Lyn,  in  the  county  of  Norfolk,  after- 
wards Bishop  of  Bangor,  in  Wales,  where  he  distinguished  him- 
self in  the  controversy  against  Wyckliff;  the  Bishop  of  Killala 
we  only  know  by  the  name  of  Robert— at  that  time  very  un- 
usual among  the  Irish.    The  two  native  names  are  those  of  tlie 
Aiclibishops  of  Cashel  and  Tuam,  Thomas  O'Carrol  and  John 
O'Grady.    The  former  was  probably,  and  tlie  latter  certainly,  a 
nominee  of  the  Crown.    We  know  that  Dr.  O  Grady  died  an 
exile  from  his  see— if  he  ever  was  permitted  to  enter  it— in  tiie 
city  of  LimericW,  four  years  after  the  sitting  of  the  Parliament 
of  Kilkenny.    Shortly  after   the  enactment  of  this  law,    by 
which  lie  is  best  remembered,  the  Duke  of  Clarence  returned  to 
England,  leaving  to  Gerald,  fourth  Earl  of  DMmond,  the  task  of 
carrying  it  into  effect.    In  the  remaining  years  oi  this  reign  the 
office  of  Lord  Lieutenant  was  held  by  Sir  William  de  Windsor, 
during  the  intervals  of  whose  absence  in  England  the  Prior  of 
Kilmainhara,  or  the  Earl   of  Kildaro  or  of  Onnond,  discharged 
the  duties  with  the  title  of  Lord  Deputy  or  Lord  Justice. 

It  is  now  time  that  we  should  turn  to  the  native  annals  of  the 
country  to  show  how  the  Irish  princes  bad  carried  on  the  con- 
test during  the  eventful  half  century  which  the  reign  of  Edward 
HI.  occupies  in  the  history  of  England. 

In  the  generation  which  elapsed  from  the  death  of  the  Earl 
of  Ulster,  or  rather  from  the  first  avowal  of  the  policy  of  pro- 
scription in  1342— the  native  tribes  had  on  all  sides  and  conti- 
nuously gained  on  the  descendants  of  their  invaders.  In 
Connaught,  the  McWilliaras,  McWattius,  and  McFeoiiss  re- 
tained part  of  their  estates  only  by  becoming  as  Irish  as  the 
Irish.  The  lordships  of  Leyny  and  Coiran,  in  Sligo  and  Mayo, 
wiere .  Recovered  by  the  heirs  of  their  former  chiefs,  while  th« 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


906 


powerful  family  of  O'Conor's  Sligo  converted  that  strong  town 
Into  a  formidable  centre  of  operations.  Rindown,  Athlone  Roa- 
common,  and  Bunratty,  all  frontier  posts  fortified  by  the'  Nnr- 
mans,  were  in  1342,  as  we  learn  from  the  Remonstrance  of 
Kilkenny,  In  the  hands  of  the  elder  race. 

The  war,  in  all  the  Provinces,  was  in  many  respects  a  war  of 
posts.    Towards  the  north  Carrickfergus  continued  the  outwork 
till  captured  by  Niel  O'Neil,  when  Downpatrick  and  Dundaik 
became  the  northern  barriers.     The  latter  town,  which  seems 
to  have  been  strengthened  after  Brace's  defeat,  was  repeatedly 
attacked  by  Niel  ONeil,  and  at  last  entered  into  conditions,  by 
which  It  procured  his  protection.    At  Downpatrick  also,  in  the 
year  1875,  he  gained  a  signal  victory  over  the  English  of  the 
town  and  their  allies,  under  Sir  James  Talbot  of  Malahide.  and 
Burke  of  Camline,  in  which  both  these  commanders  were  slain. 
This  0  Neil,  called  from  his  many  successes  Noil  More,  or  the 
Great,  dying  in  1397,  left  the  borders  of  Ulster  more  effectually 
cleared  of  foreign  garrisons  than  they  had  been  for  a  century 
and  a  half  before.    He  enriched  the  churches  of  Armagh  and 
Derry,  and  built  a  habitation  for  students  resortino  to  the  pri- 
niatial  city,  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  palace  of  Emania,  which 
had  been  deserted  before  the  coming  of  St.  Patrick. 

The  northern  and  western  chiefs  seem  in  this'age  to  have 
made  some  improvements  in  military  equipments  and  tactics. 
Cooey-na-gdll,  a  celebrated  captain  of  the  O'Kanes,  is  represented 
on  his  tomb  at  Dungiven  as  clad  in  complete  ai-mor-thou.d, 
that  may  be  the  fancy  of  the  sculptor.    Scottish  gallowglasses 
-heavy-armed  infantry,  traine.1   in  Bruce's  campaigns,  were 
permanently  enlisted  in  their  service.  Of  their  leaders  the  most  dis- 
tinguished were  McNeil  Cam,  or  the  Crooked,  and  McRory,  in  the 
service  of  0  Conor,  and  McDonnell,  M^Sorley,  and  Mi  Sweeney 
in  the  service  of  O'Neil,  O'Donnell,  and  OConor  Sli^o.    T«ie 
h'aders  of  the.se  warlike  bands  are  called   the  Consrnbles  of  i 
lyr-Owen,  of  North  Connaught,  or  of  Connaught,  and  are  di^- 
tingu.shed  in  all  the  warlike  encounters  in  the  north  and  went. 
The  midland  country— the  counties  now  of  Longford   West- 
meaih,  Meath,  Dublin,  Kildare,  King's  and  Queen's,  were  almost 
OonstanUy  in  arms,  during  the  latter  half  of  this  ceuiury.    i* 
2S  ^ 


\ 


206 


POPULAR    niBTORY    OF    TRRLAND. 


h: 


lords  of  Annally,  Moj-Casl  el,  Cad)ry,  Ofllilly,  Ely,  and  Lrfjt, 
rivalled  each  oLker  in  enterprizo  and  endurance.  In  1329, 
McQeoghegan  of  Weslmeath  defeated  ami  slow  Lord  Tlnunus 
Butler,  with  the  loss  of  120  men  at  Mullingar;  but  the  next  year 
Buffered  an  equal  loss  from  the  combined  forces  of  the  Earls  of 
Ormond  and  Ulster;  his  neighl)or,  O'Farrell,  contended  with 
CTcn  better  fortune,  especially  towards  the  close  of  Edwnrd'i 
reign  (1872),  when  in  one  successful  foray  he  not  only  swept 
their  garrisons  out  of  Annally,  but  rendered  imr>ortaiit  assist- 
ance to  the  insurgent  tribes  of  Meath.  In  Leinster,  the  house 
of  O'Mooro,  under  Lysaght  their  Chief,  by  a  well  concerted  con- 
spiracy, seized  in  one  night  (in  1827)  no  less  than  eight  castles, 
and  razed  the  fort  of  Dunamase,  which  they  despaired  of  de- 
fending. In  1846,  under  Conal  O'Mcore,  they  destroyed  the 
foreign  strongholds  of  Ley  and  Kilraehedie  ;  and  though  Ctmal 
was  slain  by  the  English,  and  Rory,  one  of  their  creatures,  j.laced 
in  his  stead,  the  tribe  put  Rory  to  dea  h  as  a  traitor  in  1864, 
and  for  two  centuries  thereafter  upheld  their  independence. 
Simultaneously,  the  O'Conors  of  Offally,  and  the  O'Carrolls  of 
Ely,  adjoining  and  kindred  tribes,  so  straightened  the  Earl  of 
Kildare  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Earl  of  Ormond  on  the  other, 
that  a  cess  of  40  pence  on  every  carucate  (140  acres)  of  tilled 
land,  and  of  40  ponce  on  chattels  of  the  value  ot  six  pounds,  was 
imposed  on  all  the  English  settlements,  for  the  defence  of  Kil- 
dare, Carlow,  and  the  marches  generally.  Out  of  the  amount 
collected  in  Carlow,  a  portion  was  paid  to  the  Earl  of  Kildare, 
"  for  preventing  the  O'Moores  from  burning  the  town  of  Killa- 
han."  The  same  nobleman  was  commanded,  by  an  order  in 
Council,  to  strengthen  his  Castles  of  Rathmore,  Kilkea,  and 
Ballymore,  under  pain  of  forfeiture.  These  events  occurred  in 
1356,  7,  and  8. 

In  the  south  the  same  strugojle  for  supremacy  proceeded 
with  much  the  same  results.  The  Earl  of  Desmond,  fresh 
from  his  Justiceship  in  Dublin,  and  the  penal  legislation  of  Kil- 
kenny, was,  in  1370,  defeated  and  s'ain  near  Adare,  by  Brian 
O'Brien,  Prince  of  Thomond,  with  several  knights  of  his  name, 
and  "  an  indescribable  number  of  others."  Limerick  was  next 
•Mailed,  and   capitulated   to  O'Brien,   who   created    Sheedy 


MoNamaro 

pver 

Ward 


fOPULAU    HlfiTORY    OF    IRELAND. 

Wanlen  of  tho  City.    The  En«I|«h  hurahcrn. 


267 


fter  the  leiirernent  of  0  U 


"i«*M,  roMe,  imir.lercl  the 


en  a„i   opened   ihe  yates  to  Si,-  William  do  W 


lio>v« 
iie«r 

I.  e     dm  „l,„l„   A„sl„.Iri,h   f..,.ce,  „,„ler  ,1,.   ,„„„„  £„;", 
u   against    OB.ien.      So    desperate    now    bernin«    .i.» 

ieut^nant  obtalno,.  fr„„  ,,»  f,„„  „,  .ucco,*   Part™   '^  " 
ll  Z  >    ,        f  '"^  '""■  '""»>•  '•«''  <''l»-ived  thorn  " 

London  to  eo,.uu  «,«,■  ,1  o"!  te":.'.::  .xm::,: 

together  d,ew  up  a  protest,  sel«„s  forth  that  th,  ^ea  Co     c 
of  Ire  and  ,,ad  never  bee,,  accustomed  to  ,„eet  out  of  that  k 
dom,  though  saviug  the  rights  of  their  heirs  and  .„  t^"^" 

It  """r"  '""'  "'"'"'■'"''"  '"  O-  "».  '-  "»  Ki,  °wi' 
nience,  on  that  occasion.    Richard  D^n«  »-,,  w  ii-       o 

were  «rst  »e„t  over  to  Engiand'tex^r  t     !    ^f  ^:X^ 

.<ta,„,s.rat,on,  the  proposed  general  asserabl,  of  1  „J     ' 

..^sseoras  to  have  droppe,!.    The  King  ordered  .l.rt    ,  ,T1 

rtre;rr'»"-'^-----''---::t 

decaj  of  the  Enghsh  niterest,  transpired  within  tl,e  hralt,  of 
Ulster,  ahuost  within  sight  of  Dublin.    Of  th,  acU>,^  l™  U,« 


|i     !! 


■'m 


r44-     i         ;» 

mi 

II 

i 

1        t^ 

i'i    1         r 

1        'f 

268 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


events  the  most  distinguished  for  energy,  ability,  and  good  for» 
tune  was  Art  McMuirogh,  whose  exploits  are  entitled  to  a 
separate  and  detailed  account. 


-♦- 


CHAPTER  III. 

ART   M'MITRROGH,     lord    OF     LKINSTER— FIRST    EXPEDITION    Of 
RICHARD   II.,  OP   ENGLAND,    TO   IRELAND. 

Whether  Donald  Kavanagh  McMurrogh,  son  of  Dermid,  waa 
born  cut  of  wedlock,  as  the  Lady  Eva  was  made  to  depose,  in 
order  to  create  a  claim  of  inheritance  for  herself  ac  sole  heiress, 
this,  at  least,  is  certain,  that  his  descendants  continued  to  be 
rooked  upon  by  the  kindred  clans  of  Leinster  as  the  natural  lords 
of  that  principality.    Towards  the  close  of  the  Xlllth  century, 
in  the  ihird  or  fourth  generation,  after  t.ie  death  of  their  imme- 
diate ancestor,  the  Kavanaghs  of  Leighlin  and  Ballyloughlin 
begin  to  act  prominently  in  the  affairs  of  their  Province,  and 
iheir  chief  is  styled  both  by  Irish  and  English  "  the  McMur- 
rogh."    In  the  era  of  King  Edward  Bruce,  they  were  sufficiently 
Tormidablo  to  call  for  an  expedition  of  the  Lord  Justice  into  their 
patrimony,  by  whicii  they  are  said  to  have  been  defeated.    In 
the  next  age,  in  1335,  Maurice,  "  the  McMurrogh,"  was  granted 
by  the  Anglo-Irish  Parliament  or  Council,  the  sum  of  80  marks 
Annually,  for  keeping  open  certain  roads  and   preserving  the 
peace  within  his  jurisdiction.    In  1358,  Art,  the  successor  of 
Maurice,  and  Donald  Revagh  were  proclaimed  "  rebels"  in  a 
Parliament  held  at  Castledeiraot,  by  the  Lord  Deputy  Sancto 
Amarido,  the  said  Art  being  furth  t  branded  with  deep  ingrati- 
tude to  Edward  III.,  who  had  acknowledged  him  as  "  the  Mac- 
Murch."     To  carry  on  a  war  against  him  the  whole  English  in- 
terest was  assessed  with  a  special  tax.    Louth  contiibuted  £20 ; 
Meath  and   Waterlord,  2i.   on  every  carucate  (140  acres)  of 
tilled  land  ;  Kilkenny  t'le  same  sum,  with  the  addition  of  6(1.  in 
the  pound  on  chattels.    Tliis  Art  captured  the  strong  castles  of 
KiHwlle,    Oaibarstown,    Rathville,   and    although    his    caieer 


ir  i 

Id 


POPULAR    HISTORF    OP   IRELAND. 


2C9 


was  not  one  of  invariable  success,  he  bequeathed  to  his  son,  also 
called  Art,  in  1375,  an  inheritance  extending  over  a  large  por- 
.on-perhaps  one-half-of  the  territory  ruled  by  his  ancestors 
before  the  invasion. 

Art  McMurrogh,  or  Art  Kavanagh,  as  he  is  more  commonly 
.  •  called,  was  born  ki  the  year  1367,  and  from  the  age  of  sixteen 
and  upwards  was  distinguished  by  his  hospitality,  knowledge 
and  feats  of  arms.    Like  the  great  Brian,  he  was  a  younger 
son.  but  the  fortune  of  war  removed  one  by  one  those  who  would 
otherwise  have  preceded  hini.in  the  captaincy  of  his  clan  and 
connections.    About  the  year  1375-.while  he  was  still  under 
age-he  wae  elected  successor  to  his  father,  according  to  the 
Annalists  who  record  his  death  in  1417,  '«  after  being  forty-two 
years  m  the  government  of  Leinster."    Fortunately  he  attained 
command  at  a  period  favorable  to  his  genius  and  enterprize. 
His  own  and  the  adjoining  tribes  were  aroused  by  tidings  of 
success  from  other  Provinces,  and  the  partial  victories  of  their 
immediate  p.-edecessors.  to  entertain  bolder  schemes,  and  they 
on  y  waited  for  a  chief  of  distinguished  ability  to  concentrate 
heir  efforts.    This  chief  they  found,  where  they  naturally  looked 
for  him.  among  the  old  ruling  family  of  the  Province.    Nor 
were  the  English  settlers  ignorant  of  his  promise.    In  the  Par- 
Lament  held  at  Castledermot  in  1377,  they  granted  to  him  the 
customary  annual  tribute  paid  to  his  house,  the  nature  of  which 
calls  for  a  word  of  explanation.    This  tribute  was  granted.  "  as 
the  late  King  had  done  to  his  ancestors ;'  it  was  again  voted 
in  a  Parliament  held  in  1380,  and  continued  to  be  paid  so  late 
as  the  opening  of  the  seventeenth  century  (A.  D.  1603).    Not 
only  was  a  fixed  sum  paid  out  of  the  Exchequer  for  this  pur- 
pose-mdacing  the  native  chiefs  to  grant  a  right  of  way  through 
their  terntones-but  a  direct  tax  was  levied  on  the  ilbitanta 
of  Enghsh  origm  for  the  same  privilege.    This  tax,  called  "  black 
mail,    or     black  rent."  was  sometimes  differently  regarded  by 
those  who  paid  and  those  who  received  it.    The  former  lookej 

fo"rlr  ^t^'f^  '^"  ^'"''  "'  ^  '"^"^°  '  ^"^  'hat  it  implied  a 
formal  acknowledgment  of  the  local  jurisdiction  of  the  chief 
cannot  be  doubted.  Two  centuries  after  the  time  of  which  we 
•peak,  Baron  Finglas,  in  his  suggestions  to  King  Henry  VIII 


i'i 


W 


! 

i 


r 


270 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


for  extending  his  power  in  Ireland,  recommends  that  "  no  black 
rerjt  be  paid  to  any  Irishman  for  ike  four  shires"— oi  the  Pale 
--"  and  any  black  rent  they  had  afore  this  time  be  paid  to  them 
for  ever."    At  that  late  period  "  the  McMurrogh"  had  still  his 
80  marks  annually  from  the  Exchequer,  and  £40  from  the  Enolish 
settled  in  Wexford  ;  O'Carroll  of  Ely  had  Md  from  the  EnoJish 
m  Kilkenny,  and  O'Conor  of  Offally  £20  from  those  of  KilJare 
and  £300  from  Meath.    It  was  to  meet  these  and  other  annul-' 
ties  to  more  distant  chiefs,  that  William  of  Windsor,  in  1369 
^venanted  for  a  larger  revenue  than  the  whole  of  theAnalo^ 
Irish  districts  then  yielded,  and  which  led  him  besides  to  stipu- 
late  that  he  was  to  undertake  no  new  expeditions,  but  to  act 
entirely  on  the  defensive.    We  find  a  little  later,  that  the  neces- 
sity  of  sustaining  the  Dublin  authorities  at  an  annual  loss  was 
one  of  the  main  motives  which  induced  Kichard  II.  of  England 
to  transport  two  royal  armies  across  the  channel,  in  1394  and 

Art  McMurrogfi,  the  younger,  not  only  extended  the  bounds 
of  his  own  inheritance  and  imposed  tribute  on  the  Enrrlish  set- 
Uers  in  adjoining  districts,  during  the  first  years  of  his  rule  but 
having  married  a  noble  lady  of  the  "Pale,"  Elizabeth,  heiress 
to  the  barony  of  Norragh,  in  Kildare,  which  included  Naas  and 
Its  neighborhood,  he  claimed  her  inheritance  in  full,  thou-h 
forfeited  under  "  the  statute  of  Kilkenny,"  according  to  English 
notions     So  necessary  did  it  seem  to  the  Deputy  and  Council 
of  the  day  to  conciliate  their  formidable  neighbor,  that  they 
addressed  a  special  represeUation  to  King  Richard,   setting 
forth  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  adding  that  McMurrogh  thread 
ened,  untU  this  lady's  estates  were  restored  and  the  arrears  of 
tribute  due  to  him  fully  discharged,  he  should  never  cease  from 
war,  "  but  would  join  with  the  Eari  of  Desmond  against  the 
Eari  of  Ormond,  and  afterwards  return  with  a  great  force  out 
of  Munster  to   ravage  the  country."    This  allusion  most  pro- 
baoly  refers  to  James,  second  Eari  of  Ormond,  who  from  beina 
the  maternal  grandson  of  Edward  I.  was  called  the  noble  Earf 
and  was  considered  in  his  day  the  peculiar  representative  of  the 
English  interest.    In  the  last  years  of  Edward  III.,  and  the  first 
Of  his  successor,  he  was  constable  of  the  Castle  of  Dublin  with 


w 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


271 


a  fee  of  £18  53.  per  annum.  In  1381— the  probable  date  of  the 
address  just  quoted— he  had  a  commission  to  treat  with  certain 
rebels,  in  order  to  reform  them  and  promote  peace.  Three 
years  later  he  died  and  was  buried  in  the  Cathedral  of  Su 
Canice,  Kilkenny,  the  place  of  sepulture  of  his  family. 

When,  in  the  year  1389,  Richard  II.  having  attained  his  ma. 
jority  demanded  to  reign  alone,  the  condition  of  the  English 
interest  was  most  critical.    During  the  twelve  years  of  his  min- 
ority the  Anglo-Irisli  policy  of  the  Council  of  Regency  had  shifted 
and  changed,  according  to  the  predominance  of  particular  in- 
fluences.   The  Lord  Lieutenancy  was  conferred  on  the  King's 
relatives,  Edmund  Mortimer,  Earl  of  March  (1379),  and  con- 
tinned  to  his  son,  Roger  Mortimer,  a  minor  (1381) ;  in  1383,  it 
was  transferred  to  Philip  de  Courtenay,  the  King's  cousin.    The 
following  year,  de  Courtenay  having  been  arrested  and  fined 
for  mal-administration,  Robert  de  Vere,  Earl  of  Oxford,  the 
special  favorite  of  Richard,  was  created  Marquis  of  Dublin 
and  Duke  of  Ireland,  with  a  grant  of  all  the  powers  and  authority 
exercised  at  any  period  in  Ireland  by  that  King  or  his  prede- 
cessors.   This  extraordinary  grant  was  solemnly  confirmed  by 
the  English  Parliamert,  who,  perhaps  willing  to  get  rid  of  the 
favorite  at  any  cost,  allotted  the  sum  of  30,000  marks  due 
ftom  the  King  of  France,  with  a  guard  of  600  men  at  arms  and 
1,000  archers  for  de  Vere's  '.xpedition.    But  that  favored  no- 
bleman  never  entered  into  possession  of  the  principality  assigned 
him  ;  he  experiencbd  the  fate  of  the  Gavestons  and  de  Spencers 
of  a  former  reign  ;  fleeing,  for  his  life,  from  the  Barons  he  died 
in  exile  in  the  Netherlands.    The  only  real  rulers  of  the  Anglo- 
Irish  in  the  years  of  the  King's  minority,  or  previous  to  his  first 
expedition  in    1394,  (if  we   except  Sir    John    Stanley's  short 
terms  of  office  in  1885  and  1389,)  were  the  Earls  of  Ormond, 
gecond  and  third,  Colton,  Dean  of  Saint  Patrick's,  Petit,  Bishop 
of  Meath,  and  Wliite,  Prior  of  Kilmainbam.    For  thirty  years 
after  the  death  of  Edward  III.,  no  Gcraldine  was  entrusted  with 
the  highest  office,  and   no  Anglo-Irish   layman  of  any  other 
family  but  the  Butlers.    In  1393,  Thomas  of  Woodstock,  Duke 
of  Gloucester,  uncle  to  Richard,  was  appointed  Lord  Lieutenant, 
and  was  on  the  point  of  embarking  when  a  royal  order  reached 


■r 


272 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


II 


Ij    i 


I 


him  announcing  the  determination  of  the  King  to  take  command 
ot  the  forces  in  person. 

The  immediate  motives  for  Richard's  expodition  are  variously 
stated  by  different  authors.    Th.t  usually  assigned  by  the  En.. 
..sh-a  desare  to  divert  his  mind  from  brooding  over  the  loss  of 
h.s  w,fe,    'the  good  Queen  Anne,"  seems  wholly  insufficient 
He  l>ud  announced  his  intention  a  year  before  her  death ;  he  had 
called  togetl)er,  before  the  Queen  fell  ill,  the  Parliament  at  West- 
m.nster,  which  readily  voted  him  "  a  tenth"  of  the  revenues  of 
all  tho.r  estates  for  the  expe.iition.    Anne's  sickness  was  sud- 
den, and  her  death  took  place  in  the  last  week  of  July.    Rich- 
aids  preparations  at  that  date  were  far  advanced  towards  com- 
pletion  and  Sir  Thomas  Scroope  had  been  already  some  months 
n  Dublm  to  prepare  for  his  reception.    The  reason  assigned  by 
Anolo-lnsh  writers  is  more  plausible :  he  had  been  a  candidate 
for  the  Imperial  Crown  of  Germany,  and  was  tauntingly  told  by 
h,s  competnors  to  conquer  Ireland  before  he  entered  the  lists 
for  the  highest  political  honor  of  that  age.    This  rebuke,  and 
he  ill-success  of  his  arms  against  Prance  and  Scotland,  proba- 
bly  made  bim  desirous  to  achieve  in  a  new  field  some  share  of 
«.at  mihtary  glory  which  was  always  so  highly  prized  by  his 

Some  eventg  which  immediately  preceded  Richard's  expedi- 
tion  may  help  us  to  understand  the  relative  positions  of  the 
natives   and   the  naturalized   to  the  English  interest  in   the 
districts  through  which  he  was  to  march.    By  this  time  the 
banner  of  Art  McM urrogh  floated  over  all  the  castles  and  raths 
on  the  slope  of  the  Ridge  of  Leinster.  or  the  steps  of  the  Black- 
suiir  lulls;  while  the  forests  along  the  Barrow  and  the  Upper 
Slaney,  as  well  as  in  the  plain  of  Carlow  and  in  the  south- 
western  angle  of  Wicklow  ^now  the   barony  of  Shillelagh), 
served  still  better  his  purposes  of  defensive  warfare.     So  en- 
tirely was  the  range  of  country  thus  vaguely  defined  under 
native  sway  that  John  Griffin,  the  English  Bishop  of  Leiahlin 
and  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  obtained  a  grant  in  "1389 
of  the  town  of  Gulroestown,  in  the  county  of  Dublin,  "  near  the 
marches  of  O'TooIe,  seeing  he  could  not  live  within  his  own  see 
for  the  rebels."    In  1390.  Peter  Creagh,  Bishop  of  Limerick, 


1 


POPULAR    HISTORl-    OF    IRELAND. 


273 


on  his  way  to  attend  an  Anglo-Irish  Parliament,  was  taken  pri- 
soner  in  that  region,  and  in  consequenco  the  usual  fine  waa 
remitted  in  his  favor.    In  1392,  James,  the  third  Earl  of  Or 
mond,  gave  McMurrogh  a  severe  check  at  TiscoflSn,  near  Shan- 
kill  where  600  of  his  clansmen  were  left  dead  among  the  hills. 
This  defeat,  however,  was  thrown  into  the  shade  by  the  cap. 
ture  of  New  Ross,  on  the  very  eve  of  Richard's  arrival  at  Wa- 
terford.    In  a  previous  chapter  we  have  described  the  fortifica- 
tions erected  round  this  important  seaport  towards  the  end  of 
the  Xlllth  century.    Since  that  period  its  progress  had  been 
steadily  inward.    In  the  reigu  of  Edward  III.  tho  controversy 
which  had  long  subsisted  between  the  merchants  of  Ross  and 
those  of  Waterford,  concerning  the  trade  monopolies  claimed 
by  the  latter,  had  been  decided  in  favor  of  Ross.    At  this  period 
it  could  muster  in  its  own  defence  363  cross-bowmen,   1  200 
long-bowmen,   1,200   pikemen,  and    104    horsemen -a    force 
which  would  seem  to  place  it  second  to  Dublin  in  point  of  mili- 
tary strength.    The  capture  of  so  important  a  place  by  McMur- 
rogh was  a  cheermg  omen  to  his  followers.    He  razed  the  walls 
and  towers,  and  cairied  off  gold,  silver  aud  hostages. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1394,  the  royal  fleet  of  Richard  arrived 
from  Milford  Haven,  at  Waterford.    To  those  who  saw  Ireland 
for  the  first  time,  the  rock  of  Dundonolf,  famed  for  Raymond's 
camp,  the  abbey  of  Dunbrody  looking  calmly  down  on  the 
confluence  of  the  three  rivers,  and  the  half-Danish,  half-Nor- 
man  port  before  them,  must  have  presented  scenes  full  of  ir  for- 
est.   To  the  townsmen   the  fleet  was  something  wonderful. 
The  endless  succession  of  ships  of  all  sizes  and  models,  which 
had  wafted  over  30,000  archers  and  4,000  men  at  arms ;  the 
royal  galley  leading  on  the  fluttering  penons  of  so  many  great 
nobles,  was  a  novel  sight  to  that  generation.    Attendant  on  the 
King  were  his  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Glouces.'er,  the  young  Earl 
of  March,  heir  apparent,  Thomas  Mowbray,  Eari  o'  Notting, 
ham,  the  Eari  of  Rutland,  the  Lord  Thomas   Percy,  afterwards 
Earl  of  Westmoreland,  and  father  of  Hotspur,  and  Sir  Thomas 
Moreley,  heir  to  the  last  Lord  Marshal  of  the  "  Pale."    Several 
dignitaries  of  the  English  Church,  as  well  Bishops  as  Abbots, 
wer«  als':  >  -th  the  fleet.    Immediately  after  landing  a  Te  Deuin 


I  if 


I  \ 


y 


274 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


I  !i!ll 


was  sung  in  the  Cathedral,  where  Earl  Richard  had  wedded  the 
Princess  Eva,  where  Henry  II.  and  John  had  offered  up  similar 
thanksgivings. 

Richard  remained  a  week  at  Wa'.erford  ;  gave  splendid  fetes, 
and  received  some  lords  of  the  neighboring  country,  Le  Poers, 
Graces  and  Butlers.    He  made  gifts  to  churches,  and  ratified 
the  charter  given  by  John  to  the  abbey  of  Holy  Cross  in  Muns- 
ter.    He  issued  a  summons  to  Gerald,  Earl  of  Desmond,  to  ap- 
pear before  him  by  the  feast  of  the  Purification,  "in  whatever 
part  of  Ireland  he  shoulJ  then  be,"  to  answer  to  the  charge  of 
having  usurped  the  manor,  revenues,  and  honor  of  Dun«rarvan. 
Although  it  was  then  near  the  middle  of  October,  he  to"ok  the 
resolution  of  marching  to  Dublin,  through  the  country  of  Mc- 
Murrogh,  and  knowing  the  memory  of  Edward  the  Confessor  to 
be  popular  in  Leinster,  he  furled  the  royal  banner,  and  hoisted 
that  of  the  saintly  Saxon  king,  which  bore  "  a  cross  patence,  or, 
on  a  field  gules,  with  four  doves  argent  on  the  shield."    His  own 
proper  banner  boce  lioncels  and  fleur-de-lis.     His  route  was  by 
Thoraastown  to  Kilkenny,  a  city  which  had  risen  into  importance 
with  the  Butlers.     Nearly  half  a  century  before,  this  family 
had  brought  artizans  from  Flanders,  who  established  the  manu- 
facture  of  woollens,  for  which  the  town  was  ever  after  famous. 
Its  military  importance  was  early  felt  and  long  maintained.    At 
this  city  Richard  was  joined  by  Sir  William  de  Wellesley,  who 
claimed  to  be  hereditary  standard-bearer  for  Ireland,  and  by 
other  Anglo-Irish  nobles.    From  thence  he  despatched  his  Earl 
Marshal  into  «  Catherlough"  to  treat  with  McMurrogh*    On  the 
plain  of  Ballygorry,  near  Carlow,  Art,  with  his  uncle,  Malachy, 
O'Mooro,  O'Nolan,  O'Byrne,  MacDavid  and  other  chiefs,  met  the 
Earl  Marshal.    The  terms  proposed  were  almost  equivalent  to 
extermination.     They  were,  in  effect,  that  the  Leinster  chief- 
tains, under  fines  of  enormous  amount,  payable  into  the  Apos- 
tolic chamber,  should  before  the  first  Sunday  of  Lent  surrender 
to  the  English  King  "  the  full  possession  of  all  their  lands,  tene- 
ments, castles,  woods  and  forts,  which  by  them  and  all  other  of 
the  Kenseologhes,  their  companions,  men,  or  adherents,  late 
were  occupied  within  the  province  of  Leinster."    And  the  con- 
aition  of  this  surrender  was  to  be,  that  they  should  have  un. 


fOPTTLAR    HlSTOav    OF   IRELAND. 


S7ft 


molested  possession  of  any  and  all  lands  they  could  conquer 
fron  the  K.n,s  other  Irish  enemies  elsewhere  in  the  kingdom. 
To  hese  hard  conditions  some  of  the  minor  chiefs,  overawed 
l.y  the  immense  force  brought  against  them,  would,  it  seems, 
have  submitted,  but  Art  sternly  refused  to  treat,  d.ckring  tha 

1  e  Van  mT.  "'  ''i'  ''  ''°"^'  '^  "'^'^  '^«  ^'"g  ^"d  nor  with 
the  Ea,    Marshal ;  and  that  instead  of  yielding  his  own  lands. 

h  s  wife  8  patrimony  in  Kildare  should  be  restored.  This  broke 
up  the  conference,  and  Mowbray  returned  discomfittcd  to  Kil- 
kenny. 

King  Richard  full  of  indignation,  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
Im  army  and  advanced  against  the  Leinster  clans.  But  his 
Inarch  was  slow  and  painful:  the  season  and  the  forest  fought 

>ddei  for  the  horses  or  provisions  for  the  men.    McMurrooh 
^wept  off  everything  of  the  nature  of  food-took  advantage  "of 
,his  knowledge  of  the  country  to  burst  upon  the  enem^,  by 
night,  to  entrap  them  into  ambuscades,  to  separate  the  cavalry 
from  the  loot,  and  by  many  other  stratagems  to  thin  their 
,  ranks  and  harass  the  strasglers.    At  length  Richard  despairing 
,  of  dKslodgmg  him  from  his  fastnesses  in  Idrone.  or  fiahting  a 
vay  out  of  them,  sent  to  him  another  deputation  of  "  The  Eno- 
hsh  and  Irish  of  Leinster."  inviting  him  to  Dublin  to  a  personal 
interview      This  proposal  was  accepted,  and  the  English  king 
continued   his  way  to  Dublin,  probably  along  the  sea  coast  by 
Bray  and  the  white  strand,  over  KiUiney  and  Dunleary.    Soop 
after  his  arrival  at  Dublin,  care  was  taken  to  repair  the  highway 
Which  ran  by  tlie  sea,  towards  Wicklow  and  Wexford 


59BI 


\ 


ftre 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


Ai  I 


I  I 


'<!   i 


CHAPTER  IV. 

■UBSEQUEXT  PROCEEDINGS  OP  RICHARD  IT.— LIEPTENANCT  AWB 
DEATH  OP  THE  EARL  OP  MARCH-SECOND  EXPEDITION  OP 
RICHARD  AOAINST  ART  MMURROOH— CHANGS  OP  DTNASTT  IS 
ENGLAND.  "M«aoij  la 

At  Dublin,  Richard  prepared  to  celebrate  the  festival  ol 
Christmas,  with  all  the  splendor  of  which  he  was  so  fo,id.  He 
Imd  received  letters  from  his  council  in  England  warmly  con- 
gratulating him  on  the  results  of  his  "  noble  voyage"  and  his 
successes  against  "  his  rebel  Make  Murgh."  Seceral  lords  and 
chiefs  were  hospitably  entertained  by  him  during  the  holidays— 
bnt  the  greater  magnates  did  not  yet  present  themselves—unless 
we  suppose  them  to  have  continued  his  guests  at  Dublin,  from 
Christmas  till  Easter,  which  is  hardly  credible. 

The  supplies  which  he  had  provided  were  soon  devoured  by  so 
vast  a  following     His  army,  however,  were  paid  their  wages 
weekly,  and  -.vera  well  satisfied.    But  whatever  the  King  "or 
his  flatterers  might  pretend,  the  real  object  of  all  the  mighty 
preparations  made  was  still  in  the  distance,  and  fresh  supplies 
were  needed  for  the  projected  campaign  of  1395.    To  raise  the 
requisite  funds,  he  determined  to  send  to  England  his  uncle,  the 
Duke  of  Glouc-ster.    Gloucester  carried  a  letter  to  the  regent,  the 
Duke  of  York,  countersigned  "  Lincolne,"  and  dated  from  Dub- 
lin, "  Feb.  1,  1395."    The  council,  consisting  of  the  Earls  of 
Derby,  Arundel,  de    Waie,    Salisbury,  Northumberland,  and 
others,  was  convened,  and  they  "  readily  voted  a  tenth  off  the 
clergy,  and  a  fifteenth  off  the  laity,  for  the  King's  supply." 
This  they  sent  with  a  document,  signed  by  them  aFl,  exhorting 
him  to  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war,  and  the  demolition  of 
all  forts  belonging  to  "  MacMourgh  [or]  le  grand  O'Nel."    They 
also  addressed  him  another  letter,  complimentary  of  his  valor 
and  discretion  in  all  things. 
While  awaiting  supplies  from  England,  Richard  made  a  pro- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRBT.Am). 


sry 


g^?ssa8  far  northward  as  Drogheda,  whore  he  took  up  his  abode 
In  t'le  Dominican  Convent  of  St.  Mary  Magdalen.    On  the  eve 
of  St.  Patrick's  Day,  O'Neil,  ODonnell,  0 Reilly,.0'Hanlon,  and 
MacMahon,  visited  and  exchanged  professions  of  friendship  with 
him.    It  is  said  they  made  "  submission"  to  him  as  their  sov. 
ereign  lord,  but  until  the  Indentures,  which  have  been  spoken 
of,  but  never  published,  are  exhibited,  it  will  be  impossible  to 
determine  what,  in  their  minds  and  in  his,  were  the  exact  rela- 
tions subsisting  between  the  native  Iri^h  princes  and  the  Kinjj 
of  Ensland  at  that  time.    O'Neil,  and  other  lords  of  Ulster, 
accompanied  him  back  to  Dublin,  where  they  found  O'Brien, 
O'Conor,  and  McMurrogh,  lately  arrived.    They  were  all  lodged 
in  a  fair  mansion,  according  to  the  notion  of  Master  Castido, 
Froissart's  informant,  and  were  under  the  care  of  the  Earl  of 
Ormond  and  Castide  himself,  both  of  whom  spoke  familiarly  the 
Irish  language. 

The  glimpse  we  get  through  Norman  spectacles  of  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  these  chieftains  is  eminently  instructive,  both 
as  regards  the  observers  and  the  observed.  They  would  have, 
it  seems,  very  much  to  the  disediflcation  of  the  English  esquire^ 
"  their  minstrels  and  principal  servants  sit  at  the  same  table  and 
eat  from  the  same  dish."  The  interpreters  employed  all  their 
eloquence  in  vain  to  dissuade  them  from  this  lewd  habit,  which 
they  perversely  called  "  a  praiseworthy  custom,"  till  at  last,  to 
get  rid  of  importunities,  they  consented  to  have  it  ordered 
otherwise,  during  iheir  stay,  as  King  Richard's  guests. 

On  the  24th  of  March  the  Cathedral  of  Christ's  Chvirch  be- 
held the  four  kings  devoutly  keeping  the  vigil  preparatory  to 
knighthood.    They  had  been  induced  to  accept  that  honor  from 
Richard's  band.    They  had  apologized  at  first,  saying  they  were 
all  knighted  at  the  aje  of  seven.    But  the  ceremony,  as  per- 
formed in  the  rest  of  Christendom,  was  represented  to  them  as  a 
great  and  religious  custom,  which  made  the  simplest  knight  the 
equal  of  his  sovereign,  which  added  new  lustre  to  the  crowned 
head,  and  fresh  honor  to  the  victorious  sword.    On  the  Feast  o( 
the  Annunciation  they  went  through  the  imposing  ceremony 
according  to  the  custom  obtaining  among  their  entertainers. 
While  the  native  Princes  of  the  four  Provinces  were  thu 
24 


278 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRKLAND. 


I>!   M 


"  By™,  and  John  0  Mollam  were  relained  in  cuslodv  nrobabl. 

hi  Mr  .'^"''"''^  ™PP"e»  had  arrived  from  England  anj 
the  fea,„.l  „f  Easter  wa,  hnppily  pa,»ed.  Before  breaking  „p 
from  b,.  winter  quarts  RichaVd  celebrated  with  sreat  noZ 

Iho  12  h  of  the  month.    The  acts  of  tins  parliament  have  not  Ln 

«Kmne  ts  of  tb.s  PnnceV  progress  in  Ireland.    The  same  u>. 
mark  was  made  three  centuries  aso  by  the  English  chro"icl  r 
Grafton,  who  adOs  with  mnch  simplicity,  that  as  Richard's  vl^' 
«?o  u,to  Ireland  ■■  was  nothing  profitable  nor  honorable  to  hta 
therefore  the  writers  tbink  it  scant  worth  the  noting  "  ' 

.  ,  ,^  '.°,^'"' "  ''"P"'*"™.  «'  "■»  hfad  of  which  was  the 
celebrated  William  of  ^Vyckham,  arrived  from  England  iZk  n' 
the  personal  presence  of  the  Kin.  to  oniel  th.  H  ,  T  ^ 
r«iiBn»i  v,r,  n.^  .  quiet  tne  disturbances 

caused  by  the  progress  of  Lollardism     With  fhi«  ?«.;♦  .•      i 

.bonid  be  exacted  of  every  representative  of  a  town  or  shire 
«  0.  being  elected  as  sncb,  neglected  or  refused  to  attend      Ho 

laWI    „dJ     r"'''"  ^"Slisbmen,  "well  le.trned  in  tbo 
law   as  judges,  whose  annual  salaries  were  to  be  for-.y  pounds 

ato  leave  of  b»  he,r  and  cousin,  and  sailed  for  England  wbithar 
he  waa  accompanied  by  most  of  the  great  .obl«  wL  bakX" 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


279 


OTer  with  bm  to  the  Irish  war8.  Little  dreamt  they  of  the  fate 
which  impended  over  many  of  their  heads.  Three  short  years 
and  Gloucester  would  die  by  the  assassin's  hand,  Arundel  by 
the  executioner's  axe,  and  Mowbray,  Earl  Marshal,  the  ambai  * 
sador  at  Ballygorry,  would  pine  to  death  in  Italian  banishment. 
Evei,  a  greater  change  than  any  of  these-a  change  of  dynasty 
—was  soon  to  come  over  England. 

The  young  Earl  of  March,"now' left  in  the  supreme  direction 
of  affairs,  so  far  as  we  know,  had  no  better  title  to  govern  than 
that  he  was  heir  to  the  English  throne,  unless  it  may  have  been 
considered  an  additional  recommendation  that  he  was  sixth  in 
descent  from  the  Lady  Eva  McMurrogh.     To  his  English  title, 
he  added  that  of  Earl  of  Ulster  and  Lord  of  Connaught,  derived 
from  hia  mother,  the  daughter  of  Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence  and 
those  of  Lord  of  Trim  and  Clare,  from  other  relations.  '  The 
councillors  with  whom  he  was  surrounded  included  the  wisest 
statesmen  and  most  experienced  soldiers  of  "  the  Pale  "    Amonj/ 
them  were  Almaric,  Baron  Grace,  who.  contrary  to  'the  statute 
of  Kilkenny,  had  married  an  0  Meagher  of  Ikeriin,  and  whose 
family  had  intermarried  with  the  McMurroghs;  the  third  Earl 
of  Ormond,  an  indomitable  soldier,  who  had  acted  as  Lord 
Deputy,  in  former  years  of  this  reign;  Cranley,  Archbishop  of 
Dublin,  and  Roche,  the  Cistortian  Abbot  of  St.  Mary's   lately 
created  Lord  Treasurer  of  Ireland ;  Stephen  Bray,  Cliief  Justice- 
and  GeraM,  fifth  Earl  of  Kildare.    Among  his  advisers  of  English 
birth  were  Roger  Grey,  his  successor;  the  new  Judges  Hanker- 
ford  and  Sturmey,  and  others  of  less  pacific  reputation     With 
the  dignitaries  of  the  Church,  and  the  innumerable  priors  and 
abbots,  in  and  about  Dublin,  the  court  of  the  Heir  Presumptive 
must  have  been  a  crowded  and  imposing  one  for  those  times,  and 
had  its  external  prospects  been  peaceful,  much  ease  and  plea- 
sure might  Irave  been  enjoyed  within  its  walls. 

In  the  three  years  of  this  administration,  the  strugole  between 
the  natives,  the  naturalized,  and  the  English  interest  knew  no 
cessation  in  Leinster.  Some  form  of  submission  had  been 
wrung  from  McMurrogh  before  bis  release  from  Dublin  Castle 
In  the  spring  of  1395,  but  this  engagement  extorted  undej 
"ijuress,  from  a  guest  towards  whom  ever9  rite  of  Losnltilitv  hn^ 


280 


POPULAR   BISTORT  OP   rBBLAWD. 


been  Tlolated,  he  did  not  feel  bound  by  after  his  enlar«emeni, 
In  the  same  year  an  attempt  was  made  to  entrap  him  at  a  ban. 

his  bard  he  made  good  his  escape  "  by  the  strength  of  his  arm. 
.  d  by  bravery  .'  After  this  double  violation  of'  what  among 
his  countrymen,  even  of  the  fiercest  tribes,  was  always  held 

placed  himself  at  the  mercy  of  prince  or  peer,  but  prosecuted 

W  7  M       :T'''''  ^«^-'»'-"-.    In  1896.  his  ne^  . 
bor    he  chief  of  Imayle,  carried  off  from  an  engagement  near 

an"ex";  t  "r  '"''  ^'  ''^  '^^'"^"^^^ '  ^'"^  'hVnext  year- 
an  exploit  hardly  second  in  Us  kind  to  the  taking  of  Ross-the 

himself  In  the  campaign  of  1398,  on  the  20th  of  July  .  ,. 
fought  the  eventful  battle  of  Kenlis,  or  Kells.  on  the  banis  of 
the  stream  called  "  the  King's  river."  in  the  barony  of  Kells 

Engnsh  crown,  ^hose  premature  removal  was  one  of  the  causes 

later.  The  t.dmgs  of  this  event  filled  "  th.  Pule-  with  conster- 
nation, and  thoroughly  aroused  the  vindictive  temper  of  Rich- 
S        t  ,?  T^    <^««Patched    to    Dublin    his    half-brother. 

To  tr.  V    H''  ^1  ''  ""'''''  ^^^^"^'y  °^«^'«^  ^"^«  «f  Surrey 
hi    ?M t'  w  "I'^^'  '  ^"^  ^^  ^""-^^^  *=*»"«  -«d  town,  to  be 

his  old       TTT  f?''  ""'^  ^'  ^'^  P««P>«'  ««  'o  Prosecute 
h.s  old  project  of  subduing  Ireland,  began  to  make  preparations 

JohnofT    .TJ"'""  ^''''^^-    ^^^^^  «^^-  '^'''^'ed  him 
John  of  Ghent  Duke  of  Lancaster,  his  uncle,  and  one  of  the 

most  famous  sold.ers  of  the  time,  suddenly  sickened,  and  died. 
As  Henry,  h.s  son,  was  in  banishment,  the  King,  under  pretence 
of  appropnatmg  his  vast  wealth  to  the  sr.  ice  of  the  nation, 
seized  it  into  his  own  hands,  and,  despite  t,..  v..  ,.  ;„g8  of  ]  is 
wisest  councillors  as  to  the  disturbed  .- .^  i  j- ,  kingdom 
again  took  up  his  march  for  Milford  Haven.  °       ' 

A  French  knight,  named  Creton,  had  obtained  leave  with  a 
hrother-in-arms  to  accompany  this  expedition,  and  has  left  ns  a 
rery  vmd  account  of  its  progress.    Quitting  Paris  they  reached 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELATO. 


981 


london  Just  as  King  Richard  was  about  "  to  cross  the  sea  on 
account  of  thi.  Injuries  and  grievances  that  his  mortal  enemleg 
had  committed  against  him  in  Ireland,  where  they  had  put  to 
death  many  of  his  faithful  friends."    Wherefore  they  were  ftar- 

'1  •  1?"  ''""'^  ^^^"^  "°  •'•'''  """'  f'"  had  avenged  himself 
npon  MacMore,  who  called  himself  most  excellent  King  and 
Lord  of  great  Ireland ;  where  he  had  but  little  territory  of  any 

nor^thwln^'.'^  '"'  ''"'  ^°'  Mllford.  vhere.  "waiting  for  the 
north  wind."   they  remained    '•  fen  whole  days."    Here  they 
found  King  Richard  with  a  great  army,  and  a  corresponding 
tleet.    The  clergy  were  taxed  to  supply  horaes,  wagons,  and 
money-the  nobles,  shire,  and  towns,  their  knights,  men-at- 
arms,  and  archers-the  seaports,  from  Whitehaven  to  Penzance 
were  obHgBd,  by  an  order  In  council,  dated  February  7th    to 
send  vessels  rated  at  twenty-five  tons  and  upwards  to  Milford 
by  the  octave  of  Easter.    King's  letters  were  i.sued  wheneve; 
the  usual  ordinances  failed,  and  even  the  press-gang  was  re- 
sorted  to.  to  raise  the  required  number  of  mariners.    Minstrels  of 
all  kmds  crowded  to  the  camp,  enlivening  it  by  their  strains, 
and  enriching  themselves  the  while.    The  wind  coming  fair,  the 
ressels  •  took  In  their  lading  of  bread,  wine,  cows  and  calves^ 
«al  raeat  and  plenty  of  water,".and  the  King  taking  leave  of  hii 
ladies,  they  set  sail. 

In  two  days  they  saw  "the  tower  of  Waterford."    The  con- 
dition to  which  the  p'eople  of  tMs  English  stronghold  had  been 
reduced  by  the  war  was  pitiable  in  the  extreme.    Some  were 
n  rags,  others  girt  with  ropes,  and  their  dwellings  seemed  to 
the  voyagers  but  huts  and  holes.    They  rushed  into  the  tide  up 
to  the.r  waists,  for  th6  speedy  unloading  of  the  ship.,  especially 
attending  to  those  that  bore  the  supplies  of  the  army.    Little 
did  the  proud  cavaliers  and  well-fed  yeomen,  who  then  looked 
on  imagine,  as  they  pitied  the  poor  wretches  of  Waterford  that 
before  many  weeks  were  over,  they  would  themselves  be  re- 
duced  to  the  like  necessity-even  to  rushing  into  the  sea  to  coa- 
tend  for  a  morsel  of  food. 

Six  days  after  his  arrival,  which  was  on  the  1st  of  June,  King 
Eichard  marched  from  Waterford  "  in  close  order  to  Kilkenny." 


282 


POPULAR    HISTORT   CP   IRELAND. 


i 


He  bad  DOW  tbe  advantage  of  Jong  days  and  warm  nights  which 

^1  TheTarlTR  7^"'f'  ^^'"^  ^-"'^'fo-  thousand  in 
aJI.  The  Earl  of  Rutland,  with  a  reinforcement  in  one  hundred 
Ships,  was  to  have  followed  him.  but  this  unfaithful  courtier  dd 
-    greatly   hasten  his  preparations  to  overtake  his  master. 

PercV  h^^  d'.::"  p'  '"'  f^^^^  ^'  ^"^'-<^'  Sir  Thomas 
♦V  T  '  i  „^"^®  °^  E^«ter ;  De  Spencer,  Earl  of  Gloucester- 
the  W  Henry  of  Lancaster,  afterwards  King  Henry  V  the 
son  of  the  late  Duke  of  Gloucester;  the  son  of'the  Count;;s  of 
Salisbury;  the  Bishop  of  Exeter  and  London;  the  ADbo  o 
Westminster,  and  a  gallant  Welsh  gentleman,  afterwards  known 
to  fame  as  Owen  Glendower.    He  dn>pped  the  subterfu^eo? 

stand"'.      rA'''  ^""'"^^^'«  '^""-'  -^  -d-n-d  hifown  ' 
standard,  which  bore  leopards  and  flower  de  luces     In  this  Z 

der,  "  riding  boldly,"  they  reached  Kilkenny   where  RfcLr^ 

wi^?d^  TT  r  ""»^  "^^^  ^' "-  Earf  of^R:rdrm 

Waterford.  No  n<lws,  however,  came.  But  while  he  waited  he 
received  mtelligence  from  Klldare  which  gratified  his  th  rst'for 
vengeance  Jenico  d'Artois,  a  Gascon  knight  of  great  dtc  L 
^on  and  valor  who  had  come  over  the  preceding  year  with  tht 
Duke  of  Surrey,  marching  towards  Kilkenny,  h^d  encountered 
some  bands  of  the  Irish  in  Kildare,  (bound  on  a  like  errand  t^ 

dred  of  them  dead  upon  the  field.    This  Jenico,  relishing  Irish 

warfare  more  than  most  foreign  soldiers  of  his  age  continued 

long  after  to  serve  in  Ireland-married  one  of  his  daugTt  rT  ' 

OnTi;     oT  '/ t'"'  '"'  '"°''^'-  '^  ^^«  «-^  ^-d  Portlester. 

whom  the  Kmg  was  very  much  devoted.  Richard,  resolvina  to 
delay  no  longer,  left  Kilkenny,  and  marched  directly  towards 
Catherlough  He  sent  a  message  in  advance  to  McMurro^h 
who  would  neither  submit  nor  obey  him  in  any  way  b"ut' 
affirmed  that  he  was  the  rightful  King  of  Ireland,  and  that  he 
wou^d  never  cease  from  war  and  the  defence  of  his  country  until 
his  death  ;  and  said  that  the  wish  to  deprive  him  of  it  by  con- 
quest  was  unlawful."  ^ 

Art  McMurrogh,  now  some  years  beyond  middle  age,  had 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT   OP   IRELAND.  *J88 


With  hfm  in  arms  "three  thousand  hardy  men"   "wf,.  a-^ 
not  appear,"  oays  our  French  kmVht  "  ZY         i        ^°  ^'^ 

With  Leral  s"r     °   '*T*°*  "'"  b".k™  .oil,  wtered 

ordered  all  the  habiSn!  •     •  ,^!  ° '"""' ^'"8  "i^^"^ 

« two  thou  J,d«':i™t;r;^"^''»  ,•>•-'  °"  "-^ '  """  "■» 

others. ay,  priso, ers  "  b™!^  T         °*°'"'  P»°P'='"  »■•.  «» 

When  .h.  r .     '       ^     *"  """■  "  '''8'"'»y  into  the  woojs  " 

lor  the  sons  of  fhft  timt,-.,    /  r.i  ^  -men  ne  sent 

Bin.,  and  the  .ol  I  ,b.  r      f »''"'''"  «"''  ^"":'^"".  his  con- 

To  .o„„rCelt":e  ."fd'^'^M  Tir"'*  °"  t"'  '°''"=*^- 
preux  and  valiant  f„,^  Z.  t         ^        °™""'  ''^nw'orth,  be 

boy  bnt  M  oTv"      "".'°  ""'  "^"'■^  ™  "'"«  ">»™  'bar  a 

Of  ^n.>a„dtrrC  M^p-llelTonr  "an?  '"'  r"™ 
«ors  to  the  throne  of  France  1      "^    ''™™»  "'  »"  •"»  P«deces. 

Mr"'ri;;  trjiirtt^r™  ■■- ''- '"™'''  °' 

rogh  retreated  h«fnr«  i-      u  '       '''*®''"  *'^^''-     ^cMur-      > 

o/ever^ht  'filtrrn^rtaTn^^^  f^^'^.^""^'  ^''-^^ 
ins  his  foraaers  and  flllinJ  T  '  '"'•P^'^'"^  ^ud  slay- 

Wood.    TheEn!ifl»  7^         ''''™P  "'ghtly  with  alarm  and 
The  Enghsh  archers  got  occasional  shots  at  his  men  "  so 


964 


POPULAR    BISTORT   OF   IRiSLAND. 


that  they  did  not  all  escape ;"  and  they  in  turn  often  attacked 
the  rear-guard,  "  and  threwr  their  darts  with  such  force  that  they 
pierced  haubergeon  and  plates  through  and  through  "  The 
Xemster  King  would  risk  no  open  battle  so  long  a°s  he  could 
thus  cut  off  the  enemy  in  detail.  Many  brave  knights  fell, 
many  men-at-arms  and  archers ;  and  a  deep  disrelish  for  the  ser- 
vice  began  to  manifest  itself  in  the  English  camp. 

A  party  of  Wexford  settlers,  however,  brought  one  day  to  his 
camp  Malachy  McMurrogh,  uncle  to  Art,  a  timid,  treaty-raak- 
ing  man.    According  to  the  custom  of  that  century-observed 
by  the  defenders  of  Stirling  and  the  burgesses  of  Calais-he  sub- 
initted  with  nwythe  about  his  neck,  rendering  up  a  naked  sword. 
His  retmue,  bareheaded  and  barefoot,  followed  him  into  the  pre- 
sence  of  Richard,  who  received  them  graciously.    "Friends" 
said  he  to  them,  "  as  to  the  evils  and  the  wrongs  that  you  have 
committed  against  me,  I  pardon  you  on  condition  that  each  of 
you  will  swear  to  be  faithful  to  me  for  the  time  to  come  "    Of 
this  circumstante  he  made  the  mos^,  as  our  guide  goes  on  to 
tell  in  these  words :  «  Then  every  one  readily  complied  with  his 
demand,,  and  took  the  oath.    "When  this  was  done  he  sent 
word  to  MacMore,  who  called  himself  Lord  and  King  of  Ireland. 
{that  country-)  where  he  has  many  a  wood  but  little  cultivated 
land,  that  if  he  would  come  straightways  to  him  with  a  rope 
about  hi8  neck,  as  his  uncle  had  done,  he  would  admit  him  to 
mercy,  and  elsewhere  give  him  castles  and  lands  in  abundance  " 
The  answer  of  King  Art  is  thus  reported :  «  MacMore  told  the 
King  s  people  he  would  do  no  such  thing  for  all  the  treasures  of 
the  sea  or  on  this  side,  (the  sea,)  but  would  continue  to  fight  and 
harass  him."  ® 

For  eleven  days  longer  Richard  continued  his  route  in  the 
direction  of  Dublin,  McMurrogh  and  his  allies  falling  back 
towards  the  hills  and  glens  of  Wicklow.    The  English  could 
ind  nothing  by  the  way  but  "  a  few  green  oats"  for  the  horses 
which  being  exposed  night  and  day  and  so  badly  fed,  perished 
in  great  numbers.    The  general  discontent  now  made  itself  au- 
dible  even  to  the  ears  of  the  Kins.    For  many  days  five  or  six 
men  had  but  a  "single  loaf."    Even  gentlemen,  knights  and 
squires,  fasted  in  succession ;  and  our  chivalrous  guide,  for  hii 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


28ft 


Pirt,      would  have  been  heartily  glad  to  have  been  penniless  at 
Po,t.ers  or  Paris."    Daily  deaths  n^ade  the  camp  a  scene  of  con 
tinu  d  mourning^  and  all  the  minstrels  that  had  come  across  the 
!•?>,,..?  '"^^  '''''''  ^""trymen,  like  the  poet  who  wen! 
w.h  Edward  H.  to  Bannochbun,  to  celebrate  the  conquesTo 
the  Scots,  found  their  gay  imaginings  turned  to  a  sLowful 

vessels tdenTr  '"''''"'  '"  ' '^'' °'  t^e  sea-coast,  where 
ressels  laden  with  provisions,  sent  from  Dublin,  were  awaiting 

ru  hed  into  the  sea  as  eagerly  as  they  would  into  their  straw." 
Al  their  money  was  poured  into  the  hands  of  the  merchants;  some 
of  them  even  fought  in  the  water  about  a  morsel  of  food  whHe 
in  their  thirst  they  drank  all  the  wine  they  could  lay  handlo? 
Our  guide  saw  full  a  thousand  men  drunk  that  dly  on  'the 
wme  o    Ossey  and  Spain."    The  scene  of  this  extraordinary 

h^  btch^'^^'^f  "V^  '^^^  '^^"  ''  ^'  --  Arklow.  whe  I 
the  beach  is  sandy  and  flat,  such  as  it  is  not  at  any  ^oint  of 
Wicklow  north  of  that  place.  ^ 

The  morning  after  the  arrival  of  these  stores,  Kina  Richard 
again  set  forward^for  Dublin,  determining  to  pen;trat;  Wicklow 

bU     U    r.  ''''  '"'^  '^^™  '""^  ^^«"S  ^f  tb«  Waters  to 
Bray.    He  had  not  proceeded  far  on  his  march,  when  a  Prar- 

TKin^Tr'''  ''L'^"^  ""'  Ambassador  fr^m  the  Le's- 
ter  King.    This  unnamed  messenger,  whose  cowl  history  cannot 

S  r'T    *''  "'"""^"'^^  "'  ^^«  '^'^  ^  tr-at  with  the 
Kmg  through  some  accredited  agent-"  some  lord  who  minht 

that  had  long  been  cruel,  might  now  be  extinguished."    The 

announcement  spread  "great  joy"  in  the  English   camp     A 

halt  was  ordered,  and  a  council  called.    After  a  consultation,  t 

was  resolved  that  De  Spencer,  Earl  of  Gloucester,  should  be 

empowered  to  confer  with  Art.    This  nobleman,  now  but  26 

years  of  age,  had  served  in  the  campaign  of  1894.    He  was  one 

Of  he  most  powerful  peers  of  England,  and  had  marred  Con- 

stance,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  York,  Richard's  cousin.    From 

h.8  -possessions  in  Wales,  he  probably  knew  something  of  the 

ttaehc  customs  and  speech.    He  was  captain  of  the  relr-^uard 


S8e 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRKLAND. 


I    I  : 


II    * 


II 

I 


hi  Ifi; 


on  this  expediiion.  and  now.  with  200  lances,  and  1.000  archen. 
all  of  whom  were  chosen  men,  he  set  out  for  the  conforencT 
The  French  kn.ght  also  went  with  bim,  as  he  himself  relates  in 
these  words : 

"Between  two  woods,  at  some  distance  from  the  sea,  I  beheld 
MacMore  and  a  body  of  the  Irish,  more  than  I  can  number, 
descend  the  mountain.    He  had  a  horse,  without  housing  of 
saddle,  which  was  so  flne  and  good,  that  it  had  cost  him,  they 
said,  four  hundred  cows ;  for  there  is  little  money  in  the  coun- 
try,  wherefore  their  usual  traffic  is  only  with  cattle.     In  coming 
down,  it  galloped  so  hard,  tliat,  in  mv  opinion,  I  never  saw 
hare,  deer,  sheep,  or  any  other  animal,  I  declare  to  you  for  a 
certainty,  run  with  such  speed  as  it  did.    In  his  riaht  hand  he 
bore  a  great  long  dart,  which  he  cast  with  much  sklU."  ♦    ♦  •   • 
His  people  drew  up  in  front  of  the  wood.    These  two  (Glouces- 
ter and  the  King),  like  an  out-post,  met  near  a  little  brook. 
There  MacMore  stopped.    He  was  a  flne  large  man-wond- 
rously  active.    To  look  at  him,  he  seemed  very  stern  and  savage 
and  an  able  man.    He  and  the  Earl  spake  of  their  doings'  - 
recounting  the  evil  and  injury  that  MacMore  had  done  towards 
.he  King  at  sundry  times ;  and  how  they  all  foreswore  their 
fidelity  when  wrongfully,  without  judgment  or  law,  they  most 
mischievously  put  to  death  the  courteous  Earl  of  March     Then 
tbey  exchanged  much  discourse,  but  did  not  come  to  ac»ree- 
menl;  they  took  short  leave,  and  hastily  parted.    Each  "took 
his  way  apart,  and  the  Earl  returned  towards  Kincr  Richard  " 

This  Interview  seems  to  have  taken  place  in  the  lower  vale 
of   Ovoca,  locally   called    Glen-Art,  both    from    the    descrip- 
tion  of  the  scenery,  and    the  stage  of  his  march  at  which 
Richard  halted.    The  two  woods,  the  hills  on  either  hand  the 
Bummer-fihrunken  river,  which,  to  one  accustomed  to  the  Seine 
and  the  Thames,  naturally  looked  no  bigger  than  a  brook,  form 
a  picture,  the  original  of  which  can  only  be  found  in  that  local- 
itT.    The  name  itself,  a  name  not  to  be  found  among  the  Imme- 
diate chiefs  of  Wicklow,  would  seem  to  confirm  this  hypothesis. 
The  Earl  on  his  return  declared,  "he  could  find  nothina  in 
him  (Art,)  save  only  that  he  would  ask  for  pardon,  truly,  upon 
CondiUon  of  having  peace  without  reserve,  free  from  any  moles- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRKLAWD. 


287 

tatlon  or  fmprisonment ;  otherwise,  he  will  never  come  to  a^oe- 
inent  as  long  as  he  lives;  and    fhe  said  ^  '  n.*h- 

»o.  agreeable  to  the  K.„, ;  it  appeared  to  me  that  hi.fo  '.    ™ 
pale  wuh  anger;  be  »«ore  io  great  wrath  by  St.  Ed«rd  IZ 
m.  never  .o„ld  he  depart  from  Ireland,  tilUMve  o^d  ad    ..i 
hart  bjm  in  his  power."  ' 

The  King,  notwithstanding,  wa,  most  anxious  to  reach  Dnb. 

"iCKiow,      for  all  the  shoutings  of  theenemie"    Wha.  r.iu 
losses  he  met  in  those  deep  ,al<e,s  o„.  .nX  deignslt  totu' 
but  only  that  they  arrived  at  last  in  Dublin  "  morethan  80  n^ ! 

Io  d,  that  j„,ned  them  on  the  way.  There  "  the  whole  „  ,  eir 
ills  were  soon  forgotten,  and  their  sorrow  removed."  The  prl 
™  and  sherlifi  feasted  them  sumptuously,  and  they  w™  „« 
tTe^rV  »'»''•  Af^^  the  dangers  th'ey  bad  unde  on 
these  attentions  were  doubly  grateful  to  them.  But  for  l„n<^ 
yeara  the  memory  of  this  doleful  march  lived  in  the  recoUec'tan 
of  the  English  on  both  sides  the  Irish  sea,  and  but  onTrnZ 
for  ab„„  a  century  did  a  hostile  army  venture  i„to  the Ta^n^ss  ' 
ofldroneand  Hy-Kinsellah.  =  lasinesscs 

When  Richard  arrived  in  Dublin,  still  galled  by  the  memorv 

of  hts  disasters,  he  divided  his  force  into  three  divisions  and  sZ 

them  ou,  in  quest  of  McMurrogh,  promising  to  whoso^vrsho,!M 

bring  him  to  Dublin,  alive  or  dead,  "  ,00  ^arks,  in"  r^  g„ ^^ 

Every  on.  took  care  to  remember  these  words  "  says  Creto 

hat  If  they  did  not  capture  him.  when  fhe  antnmn  ^ZZi 
the  trees  were  leafless  and  dry,  he  would  bum  "  all  ,he  J'   . 
great  and  small,"  or  ttnd  out  that  troublou     ebe  '  The  l,: 
day  he  sen  out  his  three  troops,  the  Earl  of  Rutland  hrLrd 
cousin,  arrived  at  Dublin  with  100  baraes     Hi,  ,,  . 

delay  he  submissively  apolo.i.ed  1  a"  adTl^rl^ 
"Jo,  and  delight"  now  r.igned  in  Dublin.  The  crown  ""eU 
.bone  at  daily  banquets,  tournaments,  and  mys,  rTe7  Cl 
day  some  new  pastime  was  invented,  and  thus  si.  w  fa  pasII7 
M  Au,„.t  drew  to  an  end.    Richard's  happbess  wou M "«« 


I 


\ 


288 


POPULAR   BISTORT  OP  IRELAND. 


head .  but  far  other  nev.8  was  on  the  way  to  him.    Thoueh  them 

«n»  cnannel.    When  good  weather  returned,  a  baree  arri.ij 

gonce  thai  Henry  of  Lancaster,  the  banished  Duke,  had  landed 
«  Ravenspnr,  and  raia«l  a  formidable  insnrreotion  amon '«  u^ 

.Trlr'::rr"  ""'  ^"^^""^  of  canterbury,  ibfll 

.n„  5         °°"  ""'"  ""  ^"  of  S'ltaf^y  into  Wal«  to 

announce  h,s  retnrn,  and  then,  taking  the  evil  counsel  of  Rnf 
land,  ™„M  himself  to  Waterford,  with  most  pZ  hb  fo^^ 
and  collected  the  remainder  on  the  wav     Pi„i,        i  .   ' 

rr^trifrnrrw^-H^^^ 

*"  rb:x:rri::::=e-droT£r 
pnson  Of  pontefLrr  fam^rrrr:  fTr  ^^^^^^^ 

The»s„cces,f«llns.r«cUonssappres,edduri„ghsrival'sZT 

a  "."•"•«»"«  »'0-«»d  the  factions  among  the  othrmeS 
of  U,at  aui,ly  opened  opportunities,  too  tempting  to  be  T^w 
to  l^,e  r,val  dynasty  of  York.    During  the  flm  sFxty  ye^  of  Vhl 
century  on  which  we  are  next  to  ent^,  w,  shalMndT,  E^ 
..h  mterest  in  Ireland  controlled  by  the  hons,  of  L  ncaftef 

oi  voik  are  ,n  the  ascendant;  until  at  length,  after  the  victory 

IT::!  ^^r-  "''^'  '-^  ""'  "'"■«  --  -"otT 
Vmh  H  1^  <=7"=«''on  of  the  Earl  of  Richmond  as  Henry 
Tilth,  and  h,s  politic  marnage  with  the  Princ™  Elizabetl^thl 
.eprese„tat,ve  of  the  Yorkist  dynasty.  It  will  brs«'  ht 
•heae  r.val  house,  had  their  reapective  fitction,  among  the  AogJ 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND.  ^89 

ment  of  English  power  in  Ireland ;  how  the  native  lords  and 
chiefs  took  advantage  of  the  disunion  among  the  foreianL  to 

lasUy,  how  the  absence  of  national  unity  alone  preserved  the 

Zrr  f  7'  '"™  ""^^  ^^^^"^"--    ^'^   conslderlnV  n 

and  th       .  ,"'  ^^"««^"--«  o'  '»>e  deposiUon  of  Richard 

II.  and  the  substitution  of  Henry  of  Lancaster  in  his  stead,  we 

must  give  due  weight  to  his  unsuccessful  Irish  wars  as  proxi! 

tTve  inT\  ,?''  ''''^'"''^°-     '''«  ^^'^^^  ''  "-  Heir  PreL^ 

sLh  rd  nh  ''  ?''''   ^'^  ^^^^"°"«  ^"'^   ill-success  tf 

Richard  ,n  hjs  wars;  the  seizure  of  John  of  Ghent's  estates  and 

t  easures ;  the  absence  of  the  sovereign  at  the  critical  .noment : 

And  ofT.  "''  n'T  ""^'"^  ""^''^''^  P^^^--^""^  to  that  end. 
And  of  these  all  that  relate  to  Irish  affairs  were  mainly  brough 

about  by  the  heroic  constancy  in  the  face  of  enormous  odds,  the 
unweaned  energy,  and  high  military  skiU  exhibited  by  one 
man—Art  McMurrogh. 


CHAPTER  V. 

»AR1   E8   WITHIN     "  T3B   PALB"-BATTLES   OF  KILMAINHAK  Airn 
AILICCAK-SIB   ,OHK   TALBOTS   LOBD   LIBUTB^lKct 

Ox«  leading  fact,  which  we  have  to  follow  in  all  its  conse- 
quences through  the  whole  of  the  XVth  century,  is  the  division 
of  the  Engh.h  and  of  the  Anglo-Irish  interest  into  two  parties 
Lancastenans  and  Yorkists.  This  division  of  the  foreign  power 
w,ll  be  found  to  have  produced  a  corresponding  sense  of  security 
In  the  3„nds  of  the  native  population,  and  thus  deprived  them 
of  that  next  best  thing  to  a  united  national  action,  the  com- 
bming  effects  of  a  common  external  danger. 

The  new  party  lines  were  not  drawn  immediately  upon  the 
English  revolution  of  1399,  but  a  very  few  years  sufficed  to  infuse 
among  sen^rs  of  English  birth  or  descent  the  partizan  passioiw 


J^^^^^-y  a*A.i.'i^J  V 


990 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRKLAHD 


Which  distracted  the  minds  of  men  In  their  original  country 
The  third  Earl  of  Ormond,  althouah  he  had  received  so  many 
favors  from  the  late  King  and  his  yrandfather,  yet  by  a  common 
descent  of  five,  gorjerations  from  Edward  I.,  stood  in  relation  of 
cousinship  to  the  Usurper.    On  the  arrival  of  tlie  younrr  Duke 
of  Lancaster  as  Lord  Lientenant,  in  1402,  Ormcnd  became  one 
of  his  first  courtiers,  and  dying  soon  after,  he  chose  the  Duke 
guardian  to  his  heir,  afterwards  the  fourth  Eurl.    This  heir 
while  yet  a  minor  (1407).  was  elected  or  apppuinted  deputy 
to  his  guardian,  the  Lord  Lieutenant;  durir^  almost  the  whole 
of  the  short  reign  of  Henry  Vth  (1418-1421)  he  resided  at  the 
English  Court,  or  accompanied  the  King  in  his  French  cam- 
paigns, thus  laying  the  foundations  of  that  influence  which  six 
several   times   during  the   reign  of  Henry  VL,  procured'  his 
appointment  to  office  as  Lord  Deputy,  Lord  Justice,  or  Lord 
Lieutenant.    At  length,  in  the  mid-year  of  the  centurv,  his  sue 
cessor  was  created  Earl  of  Wiltsliire,  and  entrusted  with  the 
Important  duties' of  one  of  the  Commissioners  for  the  Fleet  and 
Lord  Treasurer  of  England;    favors  and  employments  which 
sufficiently  account  for  how  the  Ormond   familv    became  the 
leaders  of  the  Lancaster  party  among  the  Anglo-Irish. 

The  bestowal  of  the  first  place  on  another  house'tended  to 
estrange    the  Geraldines,   who,   with    some    reason,   re^^arded 
themselves  as  better  entitled  to  such  honors.    Durincr  the  first 
official  term  of  the  Duke  of  Lancaster,  no  great  feeling  was 
exhibited,  and  on  his  departure  in  1405,  the  6th  Earl  of  KUdare' 
was,  for  a  year,  entrusted  with  the  office  of  Deputy.    On  the 
return  of  the  Duke,  in  August,  1408,  the  Earl  rode  out  to  meet 
him,  but  was  suddenly  arrested  with  three  other  members  of 
his  family,  and  imprisoned  in  the  Castle.    His  house  in  Dublin 
was  plundered  by  the  servants  of  the  Lord  Lieutenant,  and  the 
sum  of  300  marks  was  exacted  for  his  ransom.    Such  injustice  and 
indignity,  as  well  as  the  subsequent  arrest  of  the  sixth  Earl,  in 
1418,  "for  having  communicated  with  the  Prior  of  Kilmainha'm" 
—still  more  than  their  rivalry  with  the  Ormonds,  drove  the  Kil- 
dare  family  into  the  ranks  of  tlie  adherents  ©f  the  Dukes  of 
Torfc.    We  shall  see  in  the  sequel  the  important  reacting  influ- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


Ml 


' 


•nee  of  these  Anglo-Irish  combinations  upon  the  fortunes  of  liijB 
white  rose  and  the  red. 

To  sinrnalize  liis  accession  and  renoove  the  reproach  of  iiv- 
iction  which  iiad  been  so  often  urged  asainst  liis  predeceNSor, 
Henry  IV.  was  no  sooner  seated  on  tho  throne  than  ho  sum- 
moned the  military  tenants  of  the  Crown  to  meet  him  in  arms 
upon  the  Tyne,  for  the  invasion  of  Scotland.     It  seems  probable 
that  he  summoned  those  of  Ireland  with  the  rest,  as  we  find  la 
that  year  (1400)  that  an  Anglo-Irish  fleet,  proceeding  north- 
wards  from  Dublin,  encountered  a  Scottish  fleet  in  Strangford 
Lough,  where  a  fierce  engagement  was  fought,  both  sides  claim- 
ing the  victory.    Three  years  later  the  Dublinera  landed  at 
Saint  Ninians,  and  behaved  valiantly,  as  their  train  bands  did 
the  same  summer  against  the   mountain  tribes  of  Wicklow, 
Notwithstanding  the  personal  sojourn  of  the  unfortunate  Richard, 
and  his  lavish  expenditure  among  them,  these  warlike  burghers 
cordially  supported  the  new  dynasty.     Some  privileges  of  trade 
were  judiciously  extended  to  them,  and,  in  1407,  Henry  granted 
to  the  Mayors  yf  the  city   the  privilege  of  having  a  gilded 
Bword  carried  before  them,  in  th«  same  manner  as  the  Mayors 
of  London. 

At  the  period  when  those  politic  favors  were  bestowed  on  the 
citizens  of  Dublin,  Henry  was  contending  with  a  formidable 
insurrection  in  Wales,  under  the  leadership  of  Owen  Glendower, 
who  had  learned  in  the  fastnesses  of  Idrone,  serving  under  King 
Richard,  how  brave  men,  though  not  formed  to  war  in  the  best 
schools,  can  defend  their  country  against  invasion.      In   the 
struggle  which  he  maintained  so  gallantly  during  this  and  the 
next  reiijn,  though  the  fleet  of  Dublin  at  first  assisted  his  ene- 
mies, he  was  materially  aided  afterwards  by  the  constant  occu- 
pation furnished  tliem  by  the  clans  of  Leinster.    The  early  years 
of  the  Lancasterian  dynasty  were  marked  by  a  series  of  almost 
invariable  defeats  in  the  Leinster  counties.    Art  McMurrogh, 
whoso  activity  defied  the  chilling  effects  of  age,  poured  his 
cohorts  through   Sculloge  gap,  on  the  garrisons  of  Wexford, 
flaking  in  rapid  possession  in  one  campaign  (1406)  the  castles 
of  Camolin,  Ferns,  and  Enniscorthy.    Returning  northward  ha 
retook  Castledermot,  and  inflicted  chastisement  on  the  warlike 


S93 


'OPDtAH  ,nSTO«r  o,  „„^„^ 


ill. 


■""■xi,  and  tl,e  Prior  of  Kr^        '''°  ^'"■'»  »' Ormond  „„d  n-V 

Statute  of  Kilkenny  bad  bU    ",1""°  ""I-"",  """o  .1^ 
'-"acted  ..  t.,e  "nlX^  of'  Tv    f,  !°  '=""°"''  »<"™"^^ 
"•'"«ly  drew  .he  ./ord  ^  Ltti"^'""  """"".-and  the, 
Within  sU  mile,  of  Callan   in  .T^;.  °°°  "'  "'^  """"""um. 
encountered  that  chiefta  „  .'„d  h„  m"*'"'™'"'"  «°"""-^."  ther 
»f  the  day  the  Iri,h  are  ,  a  ed  to  h..  Tad";.  '"  ""  '"'^  ""^ 
.-me  Methian  captains  comi„„  1  i™, ''°''/''»  ""'antage,  but 
Me!„fa,„rofiheK„a|toh      Lr^"""""™»»"  turned  the 

PaN.,  thoy  .„„  .  second ttoryTe^r  •°^"';  ""™"'*'  "'"■• 
Calinn,  over  O'Carroll  „f  Elv  L  *'"'^'"  "'  "•»  ">»n  of 

McMurrogb.     Bat  so  oontj;  IT  """^'•'"° '»  "■«»«  "' 
account.  Of  this  t„„f„,d  enj^llont  onT'"""""^^   »"   "» 
the  Deputy  i„  person,  and  such  Tr    .         """  ""y' '»  """ch 
Of  Desmond,  of  Orm^nd  a„d    he  p         '"'^"'  "^  '"'  ^''" 
"■".led,  that  we  c,„„„    r"c„ndl  ,1'°'-,°.  ''"'""'■""°'  '=<>°- 
^™l>  Annais  simply  record     efl^  J'  "^^  ,7"""'»"y-     The 
Cal/an  over  the  I,  ish  of  MunX  11  „k  ?  .""°  ™  «'■"'■«  « 
Other  „,.ive.„,h„,.l,ies  JillZ'Z    T'-  ^^'""^  "«»  "»'-. 
Warroll,  but  no  «.en,i„rwh    "e!  "        ^  ""°""  ""  ""k 
McMurrogh.     The    English    at?       """'°  "'  "■»  """'e  with 
evening  ,„„  „„„,  s.il,  while  1^1.  T'"^  '"'•  "■«  '". 
Jom  the  place  of  the  fl,.    en^ettt  f/^h  Vf  *  "^  ■»"''' 
This  WM  ihe  last  campai,„  ^m^T  ,        '  "'  ""  """"O- 

«oon  after  by  the  pestilence"  wWch'wen?""  f"""''  '"  ■"»« 
nerther  rich  nor  pcor.  °'"  ^^  ">«  '>'a»<I,  sparine 

»"Mta,  and  With  an  th/rrcrs  "e lot '""^  "  ''""»"»"'  «' 
«"  expedition  ^o„lhwa,d.     But  ^M  '  """""■'  ''•'»™'"'''  <"' 


POPULAR    niSTORT    OF   IRELAND. 


298 


h«  besfiged  the  city,  and  Brlen  before  the  battle  of  Clontarf,  had 
pitched  their  tents  of  old.    The  Engh      and  Anglo-Irish  forces, 
under  the  eye  of  th.2ir  Prince,  marched  out  to  dislodge  them,  in 
four  divisions.    The  first  was  led  l)y  tlie  Duke  in  person  ;  the 
second  by  the  veteran  knight,  Jenicho  d'Artois,  the  third  by 
Sir  Edward  Ferrers,  an  English  knight,  and  the  fourth  by  Sir 
Thomas  Butler,  Prior  of  the  Order  of  Saint  John,  afterwards 
created  by  Henry  Vtii,  for  his  distinguished  service,  Earl  of 
Kilmain.    With  McMurrogh  were  O'Byrne,  0  Nolan  and  other 
chiefs,  besides  his  sons,  nephews,  and  relatives.    The  numbers 
on  eacli  side  could  hardly  fall  short  of  ten  thousand  men,  and 
the  action  may  bo  fairly  considered  one  of  the  most  decisive  of 
those  times.    The  Duke  was  carried  back  wounded  into  Dublin ; 
the  slopes  of  Inchicore  and  the  valley  of  the  Liffey  were  strewn 
with  the  dying  and  the  dead ;  the  river  at  that  point  obtained 
from  the  Leinster  Irish  the  name  of  Athcroe,  or  the  ford  of 
slaughter;  the  widowed  city  was  filled  with  lamentation  and 
dismay.    In  a  petition  addressed  to  King  Henry  by  the  Council, 
apparently  during  his  son's  confinement  from  the  effects  of  his 
wound,  they  thus  describe  the  Lord  Lieutenant's  condition: 
"  His  soldiers  have  deserted  him;  the  people  of  his  household 
are  on  the  point  of  leaving  him ;  and  though  thev  were  willing 
to  remain,  our  lord  is  not  able  to  keep  them  together;  our  said 
lord,  your  son,  is  so  destitute  of  money,  that  he  hath  not  a  penny 
in  the  world,  nor  a  penny  can  he  get  credit  for." 

One  consequence  of  this  battle  of  Kilmoinham  was,  that  while 
Art  McMurrogh  lived,  no  further  attacks  were  made  upon  his 
kindred  or  country.  He  died  at  Ross,  on  the  first  day  of  Jan. 
uary,  1417,  in  the  60th  year  of  his  age.  His  Brehon  ODoran 
having  also  died  suddenly  on  the  same  day,  it  was  supposed 
ihey  were  both  poisoned  by  a  drink  prepared  for  them  by  a 
woman  of  the  town.  "  He  was,"  say  our  impartial  Four  Mas^ 
ters,  who  seldom  speak  so  warmly  of  any  Leinster  Prince,  "  a 
man  distinguished  for  his  hospitality,  knowledge,  and  feats  o* 
arms ;  a  man  full  of  prosperity  and  royalty ;  a  founder  of 
churches  and  monasteries  by  his  bounty  and  contributions," 
and  one  who  had  defended  his  Province  from  the  age  of  sixteea 
to  sixty. 


S04 


""■■"■*"  nisTo.T  or  mi,iA,„. 


"-.>"»«.„  "..aiuJt ':.  o?  heir;  TT""'"  •^•"•• 

»«caA  on  .cooanl  of  bl,  l°*,„l      ' ''"  ""•""«'  Thorn.. 
*'«.h  I,ei„,.„  „  .  a„,,,  „,  „ '™u°'  '•    "»  >'  »■>"  abandoned 

•"tagonui  1„   ,h„  „„.  of    "f;  *'!''''■  •"■''"•''I'.    HlaClo, 
OConor,  0,  orally.    T„l,  „„;","   "''  ""-""«"  «'  Mauric. 
•on.,  b„.  had  gained  „  n.ZZl.S   ""* '""  '""•  "  ""•«• 
"«'  Inwfably  .,d,d  by   b"^  con.  T"  °"""  "'P"""'    H. 
MacO,„g„„.,„  „,  Wsfmea  h      C,„    .""  """   """""'"'■  "" 
«••«.»  .nd  pl„„dered  theT™  of  ^"'^  ^  '*""  "'"""''^  "- 
prisoner,  to  ran,„m  or  COTying  'ff  h  j,'T  T"""'  ''°''""»  """' 
I-'IJ  to  ran,„™  ,be  B,JZ^1"\'T'-    '- "'1  OConor 
lator  dofea^,d  Prior  BuSer  ,n  !  Lt  h  r"'  '""  '""•'"'•»' 

May,  1414.    ,„  tMn  mgJaZllT'T^''T  °"  ""^  ""h  "'^  »' 

•sain.,  th™.    Sir  Thon,.,  M„l""    R*       '"'"•  ""  •™^'^ 
groat  many  offloera  and  comlT'u  '    '"■''"  "'  ^'^i'.  "  «n1  a 

Slan.,  for  who™  a  r.n.o„  ^?  "oo^"'""'  ">"  <"  th.  Baron  of 
quitous  Sir  Jenlcho  d'Artoi.    who-,  ."'"'"*''•"'"'■' »W- 
"twol„b„„dr,dmark.,btd'.rrl»   ■     T"  °"""-  !»« 
•^on."    A  Pariiament  which  , at  at  n  u  '"'  '"'  ""■  ""'"^ 
*>  I«8,  and  a  f„,aT  Into  W  c kiow  L       '"     '  """""  ""K 
Tlioraa,  fioe.,,;,.  vi„or„,.,t!'s?'  t'""  ""'"•"•»«'»  « 
H«»ryVt,,(H13),hew..riedra.'     '*-  "'=™'°"  »' 
"onarch  Into  Pranc,  and  f„rali?T    '""■''  """  ""'•'iko 
wa.  c«rci,ed  by  Si    John  Stan  ,'!""'  ""  S»™">mont 

"»  tho  evo  of  St.  Martinet;,  7mT\  ^  *;'""'»«'>'>"• 
»«rda  .0  celebrated  a,  flr,t  Ea  I  „f  st  .  ^'"''°''  "'''»'■- 
Kalkoy,  With  the  title  of  i,„,,j;^j;f">'»''ury,  landed  a. 

The  appointment  of  this  cel.l,™,     n 

-ar  With  Prance,  wa,  a„"at  17  ,  tC'd'  °"  ""  "**  °'» 

"  01  the  desperate  strait  to 


POPULAR    niBTORT    OF    IRKLAND. 


«05 


let 

ra. 

nd 

as 

?d 

ts 

of 

e 

9 
) 


wVilch  th«  EtiRllflh  interest  had  been  reduced.      And  If  the  end 
could  ever  jUMlify  the  means,  Henry  Vth  from  his  point  of  ?ieir 
niiiilit  Iiave  defended  on  that  ground  tlie  appointment  of  tliis  In- 
exorable soldier.    Adopting  th  ^  system  of  Sir  Thomas  Butler, 
Talbot  paid  littlo  or  no  attention  to  South  Leinsler,  but   aimed 
In  the  first  i)Iace  to  preserve  to  his  sovereign,  Louth  and  Meatli. 
His  most  southern  point  of  operation,  in  his  first  Lieutenancy, 
v/ns  Leix,  but,  his  continuous  efforts  were  directed  against  the 
O'Conors   of    Offally   and    the  O'Hanlons   aad    McMahons   oi 
Oiiel.     For  three  succeeding  years  he  made  circuits  through 
theae   tribes,   gennrally  by   the   same   route,  west  and   north, 
plunderlnu  chiefs  and  churches,  sparing  "  neither  saint  nor  sanc- 
tuary."   On  l)is  return  to  Dublin  after  tliese  forays,  he  exacted 
with  a  high  hand  whatever  he  wanted  for  his  household.   When 
he  returned  to  Enoland,1419,  he  carried  along  with  him,  according 
to  tlie  chronicles  of  liie  Pale — "  the  curses  of  many,  because  he, 
being  run  mucli  in  debt  for  victuals,  and  divert  other  tilings, 
would  pay  little  or  nothing  at  all."      Among  the  natives  he  left 
a  still  worse  repu'ation.      The  plunder  of  a  bard  was  regarded 
by  -liem  as  worse,  if  possible,  than  th^  spoliation  of  a  sanctuary. 
One  of  Talbot's  immediate  predecessors  was  reputed  to  have 
died  of  tlie  maledicti^^n  of  a  bard  of  Westmeath,  whose  property 
he  had  ai)propriated ;  but  as  if  to  show  his  contempt  of  such 
superstition,  Talbot  suffered  no  son  of  song  to  escape  him, 
Their  satires  fell  poweriess  on  his  path.    Not  only  did  he  en- 
ricli   himself,  by  means  la\vfu<  and  unlawful,  but  he  created 
Interest,  which  a  few  years  afterwards  was  able  to  checkmate 
the  Desmonds  and  Orraonds.    The  see  ot  Dublin  falling  vacant 
during  his  administration,  he  procured  the  appointment  of  his 
brother  Richard  as  Archbishop,  and  left  him,  at  his  departure, 
Ir.  temporary  possession  of  the  office  of  Lord  Deputy.    Branches 
of  bis  family  were  planted  at  Malahide,  Beigarde,  and  Talbots 
town,  in  Wicklow,  the  representatives  of  which  survive  till 
this  day. 

One  of  this  Lieutenant's  most  acceptable  offices  to  the  State 
was  the  result  of  stratagem  rather  than  of  arms.  The  celebrated 
Art  McMurro^ih  was  succeoded,  in  1417,  by  his  son,  Donogh, 
who  seems  to  have  inherited  his  valor,  without  his  prudeuce. 


I 


sua 


« 


'OPC.AR   H,eTO«T  OP  ,»K.A»o. 


l"'kM  „n,i,  capture,  ecp^J;^'::'^  »'  ^"l""'-    OConor 

«"1  ecnflned  i„  tk.  T„„er.  Herl ,  .  f  ""'  """•™''  """""on 
y«a".  At  length,  i„  ]428  TaTb„7  I  *"'*"'  '"■•  »i-  »'ary 
•he  best  of  hi„,..  j„j  ,:;™''°''  '■"'"S  "  eot  liceme  to  „,,*« 

P"'ince  r,Va.ed  hi™    '  which r°"-r  ^'"  ''""'^  "^  •>«  «™ 
But  neither  the  a»  ranHiltJ^J?'"'  »""«  '»  the  Iriah." 

«f  »l.l  '■>"■«-»  afectrdTn'rrir"  ""  «"  ''^'"•-  '»» 
event,.    We  ha.e  traced  for  ra  f  ™     .   "*°  '■"  "^  '"■•'««°n  of 
^^>>o-  out,  the  natural  ci^ZZ^^^'r  '"'  "''"" 
KMmny.    Although  every  ,,,1,  °-      ^        "'"'""'  '»'>«<'  of 
.-•ected  and  re-enacled  thaf.   tl     °  ^"''^™™' »'  '»«  PaiC 
"  particlar  caae,,  both  a   to  t '1"":^  ^"^  »"  ""fep™  J 
'-■"g  m-th  the  native,.    r!t  the  .t  ^'  f"'"="i»§«,  and  f«. 
•"".jed  all  the  experience  „fj:'"r?'™^'  ^"■"'"■p"™ 
P«H.o„  was  presented  to  the  EngH  h'L-      ""'  °''  ^"«""> 
'he  aw,  e«|„ji„g  j^^^  eccle.iaa,f '  L  "    ™"''  ^''''^'"8  Ihat 
he  strictly  enforced,  and  thJ^  """'"""'^es, should 

'»««  Of  fugitives  C  erandlr^'"'^  Prohibit  the 
Pa«ed  a  corresponding  act  ait,"  '.''°  '''"'  ^""''■"en. 
«rate  without  special  ifcense    "'™'  ="»"'"g  any  one  to  emi. 
'"  1421,  OHediau,  Archb"Vof''ca':h'r"'  "'"""  »°M» 
Oese,  Bishop  of  Waterford,  the  Lf„r'-™'  ™P^«hed  by 
"one  of  the  English  natloith"    he  „""■'"'  "^'"^  '"«  '"'"'el 
'»»   "tag,-  and  that  he  des  "1  ,o  ''\°"^  "<- Englishman 
Munster.    This  .ealons  assemC  i      T  "'""'"  »f™«  of 
enevances  to  the  King,  prayin"t,*°„"'°P'»1  »  petition  of 
komage  to  King  Bieh°ard,  Cad   1  !•''"  '*"'  "■■»  "ad  done 
the  government  notwithstanding  tlefr  reT  ^"""""^  "'^'"'^ 
the  Apostolic  chamber  hi.  It   f  '^"^°S"'2ances  payable  io 

conduct  bef.re  the  P opt  „!f "" '  .;■■»  ^ng  would' lay' he  ^ 
publish  a  c„,s„^,  „J,l  ««  r^,""  ""  """^  """"to 
!.«  predecessor's  grant  to  HenrMI,.     °"  "'  ""  ">'«'«»■>  »' 

In  the  temporal  order  n,  „  \. 
brought  its  own  punishment.    "Th!  p?,""  ^'"'y  «'  "atr^i 
to  date  from  the  passing  „f  ,,.  C'yij^'""  ™^  "»  -'<> 

"•^  •*»*«»»»  (1367),  wa» 


POPULAR    HiSTORt    OP   IRELAND. 


297 


•Iready  abridged  more  than  ore-haJf.    The  Parliament  of  Kil- 
kenny  had  defined  it  as  embracing  "Loutb,  Meatb,  Dublin  Kil- 
dare,  Catherlough,  Klikeuny,  Wexford,  Waterford,  and  Tippe- 
rary,"  each  governed  by  Seneschals  or  Sheriffs.    In  1422  Dun- 
lavan  and  Ballymore  are  mentioned  as  the  chief  keys  of  Dublin 
and  Kildare-and  in  the  succeeding  reign  Callan  in  Oriel  is  set 
down  as  the  ch'ef  key  of  that  part.     Dikes  to  keep  out  the 
enemy  were  made  from  Tallaght  to  Tassagard,  at  RathconneU 
m  Meath,  and  at  other  places  in  Meath  and  Kildare.    These 
narrower  limits  it  long  retained,  and  the  usual  phrase  in  all 
future  legislation  by  which  the  assemblies  of  the  Anglo-Irish 
define  their  jurisdiction  is  "  the  four  shires."    So  completely 
was  this  enclosure  isolated  from  the  rest  of  the  country  that  in 
the  reign  at  which  we  have  now  arrived,  both  the  Earls  of  Des- 
mond and  Ormond  were  exempted  from  attending  certain  sit- 
tmgs  of  Parliament,  and  the  Priv.v  Council,  on  the  ground  that 
they  could  not  do  so  without  marching  through  the  enemy's 
country  at  great  risk  and  inconvenience.    It  is  true  occasional 
successes  attended  the  military  enterprizes  of  the  Anolo-Irish 
even  in  these  days  of  their  lowest  fortunes.     But  they  had 
chosen  to  adopt  a  narrow,  bigoted,  unsocial  policy;  a  policy  of 
exclusive  dealing  and  perpetual  estrangement  from  their  neigh- 
bors dwelling  on  the  same  soil,  and  they  had  their  reward. 
Their  borders  were  narrowed  upon  them ;  they  were  penned  up 
in  one  corner  of  the  kingdom,  out  of  which  they  could  not 
renture  a  league  without  license  and  protection,  from  the  fre« 
clansmen  they  insincerely  affected  to  despise. 


m 


ie98 


POPULAR   HISTORF   OF   IRELAM. 


H'iji' 


CHAPTER  Vr. 

A0T8     OP       TWW       WAm..,- 

^-~l^-:^-L^^^^^^  OK    .H.HBS    A«. 

BESTORE  THE   MONARCHY      Lr^       '   ^^'^^«    ^P    THOMOND    TO 
FIFTEENTH   CENT0RY.        ^^'■^"^^^  ^^  "^^^  ^^^ES   IN  ^ 

The  history  of  "  thp  PiU"  i^„' 
of  Us  complete  ,.„  aUo!  1   ."'  ""'°"'"'"'  ""^  '»  *«  P^'M 
trenched  and  casKHatd  1,„,,,,         T  '°  ■""'  '"'^™'»  »»  «- 
even.  ,„  o.,er  par^t^'lTn^dor  "^  '°  ""'""  "'  ^^^  "' 

tlonal  Confederacy  aft^r  ,1,   f  ,T  ,  '""  °''°""  """"ler  Na- 

to  those  before  me„r„ed     "L  .      "°™^  '^""'~"'  '^''i"on 

Which  had  never  ^Z IZL  ?'•''  ""  '"'  '°  *"  ''"'"^'^ 

■'"ions  of  tholsland     Br ,?      , '  "''™  ""  '"»  P'^i"™  di- 

those  of  the  South.  T,™  I'T  '  r'"'"'  """  «''="'=''  V 
--  the  r„,e.  The  Ba^^lalJ'^T  T '"■'°"''  ""'  '"' 
cording  to  their  Prorlnci.l  bi».  l^f  .    ^bsequent  times,  ac. 

the  Bngenian  race,  or^.  ifle^'his  ^h  '"""■"  "'  »">-  "P»» 
a..d  his  adherents  of  the  meet  Con:  CS  "°  r"  """""^ 
al^^ays  raost  deep-seated  when  drhl  "'f  ^""'  "f  irritation, 
mismanagement  or  of  sclf-renr..  J  oy  a  consciousness  of 

for  the  fact,  that  more  than  one  ""^  *  ^'°'  "'^ '"  >o<=ount 
before  any  close..  nZZuZMT^T  ™  '»  "»«'  """y- 
Northern  and  Southern  MUetn  Wsh"""""  °''°"'  """«"  '- 

boo,.:  t^tt;: 'Cirottz-^'^fh "-'"-'  ■•"  - »-»' 

-■ties,  departing  fJ^rSf'T  f""  ^  ^''^S^"  O"""""- 

of  one  central  ,e.isiatiTr.f.r    '""  "'^  '""='="'  '"'^'tioM 

=  """•  ™""'  ""d  one  supreme  elecliw 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


t99 


chief.  Special,  short-lived  alliances  between  lords  of  different 
Provinces  are  indeed  frequent;  but  they  were  brought  about 
mostly  by  ties  of  relationship  or  gossipred,  and  dissolved  with 
the  disappearance  of  the  immediate  danger.  The  very  idea  of 
national  unity,  once  so  cherished  by  all  the  children  of  Miledh 
Espatgne,  seems  to  have  been  as  wholly  lost  as  any  of  those 
secn-ts  of  ancient  handiwork,  over  which  modern  ingenuity  puz- 
zlos  Itself  in  vain.  In  the  times  to  which  we  have  descended, 
It  was  every  principality  and  every  lordship  for  itself.  As  was 
said  of  old  i„  Rome,  "Antony  had  his  party,  Octavius  had  his 
party,  but  the  Commonwealth  had  none." 

Not  alone  was  the  greater  unity  wholly  forgotten,  but  no 
sooner  were  the  descendants  of  the  Anglo-Normans  driven  into 
then-  eastern  enclosure,  or  thoroughly  amalgamated  in  lanaua^e, 
laws  and  costume  with  themselves,  than  the  ties  of  particular 
clans  began  to  loose  their  binding  force,  and  \h^  tendency  to 
subdivide  showed  itself  on  every  opportunity.    We  have  already, 
m  the  book  of  the  "War  of  Succession,"  described  the  subdi- 
visions of  Br.ffni  and  of  Meath  as  measures  of  policy,  taken 
by  the  OConor  Kings,  to  weaken  their  too  powerful  suffragans. 
But  that  step,  which  might  have  strengthened  the  hands'of  a 
native  dynasty,  almost  inevitably  weakened   the  tribes  them- 
selves in  combatting  the  attacks  of  a  highly  organized  foreign 
power.    Of  this  the  OConors  themselves  became  afterwards  the 
most  striking  example.    For  half  a  century  following  the  Red 
Earl's    death,    they  had    gained    steadily   on    the  Iroreigners 
settled   in   Connaught.      The  terrible   defeat  of  Athenry'was 
hiore  than  atoned  for  by  both  other  victories.    At  length  the 
descendants  of  the  vanquished  on  that  day  ruled  as  proudly  as 
ever  did  their  ancestors  in  their  native  Province.   The  posterity  of 
the  victors  were  merely  tolerated  on  its  soil,  or  anxiously  build- 
ing up  new  houses  in  Meath  and  Louth.    But  in  an  evil  hour, 
on  the  death  of  their  last  King  (1384),  the  O'Oonors  agreed  to 
Settle  the  conflicting  claims  of  rival  candidates  for  the  succes- 
sion  by  dividing  the  common  inheritance.     From  this  date 
downwards  we  have  an  O'Conor  Don  and  an  O'Conor  Roe  in 
the  Annals  of  that  Province,  each  rallying  a  separate  band  of 
partizans ;  and  according  to  the  accidents  of  age,  minority,  al« 


800 


"OPWAR   „,ST„Kr   OF  .„.,^«^ 


'■"•"•o^in?  1„  ,te„,.„.j;  r'-.t/'"™  ","''  ""^  «  faint  fore. 

almost  every  „eat  c„„„e,  „"  TolZ  "  '"'  "'  ""P'^''  "^ 
«»13  Of  yell„„  „„,h  ONen  in  ct  J'  '°""'-     ■""'  "»''="""- 
'"m  Ihe  »npremacy  of  the  elL  f      f  ^^  ° '"'™°''  ""'"'«'''" 
ells,  .cknowied^ed  L„  1„  d,tf     '    ,'  "^ '"  ''"""'  ■  '"»  O'""- 
«"'»  Of  Tirerrii,  there  wtM  De  I» '/'t  *""'°'"''"''  "™ 
Independence  „fMeDe™ott'tr»l™f  »'  ">«  Wood  eiaiming 
n^'^y  „ith  O.B,.ie„  of  T,    :C.  I  '  °.°™"  "'^™  »-"'»« 
■■oal>  contested  the  superioritvTf  ^      "'""""'  "'  ^"  M"""- 
»"rely  the  m„,t  powerful  "lllJ'T' '  """  """•  "»»'y  l-"' 
own  dissolution.  "'"  listening  the  day  of  their 

A  consequence  of  tlieae  ..,i,j-  ■  • 
««se  for  „e„  and  oppoX  a°h-f  1  r"'  ^'"  ""  ""^'^  '""■"" 
"■"ly  looked  „„  the! Z:  ri' ?°°' *"'»  "'■°  "ad  for- 
commoD  dangers  ard  comL  °"  °'  <">»  """'<>y.  with 

now  re„ed  «n  nei.hhoC™  . 'rT'"-    ^"^  '""'  »'  P»" =' 
in  its  flrst  stages  apnarenX."  °"  '^''"'"  »  cban.. 
'h»Iongrun„^twi.ho„t T"""    "™'  ""'^  'J^P'oraWe,  butin 
■n^lance  of  these  nelneJ^^rr""""^  '"'™"'""--    ^s  an 
and  snccor  steadily  e^e^^ed  h,  .t™?  '"^^'"'  ""  P™'«Uon 
th=  McQuiiians,  BisLts^He  ^ftr  '^ T'"'  °'  ""'"''^*»^.  '» 
Of  the  Qlen,,  ,gai„,t  the  fr  qneMTtlr  V""  ""  '•'=''™"'"" 
'one.    The  latter  laid  claim  to  °„mf'  "'  ""  °''""'  "'  fy 
aoKnowledgetheseforei»nl  th'Lh       ■°"''  '""^  ■''f"''"'  "• 
speech.    Had  it  not  been  "hat'  the  ^  °'  *'""'•"'  "•'"=»  »"<! 

tho  other  way,  it  u  very  d  uhfl      eRh"  .t'  ^"""^""^  P«""-' 
«»t"ers  by  the  bays  of  Antrim  1m  t'  "^  ''*''  ^  S""'"^"*  ' 
Jtand  .g„in,t  the  oyerrulit  pol,;""  "7  ■">"'  >  ™-essful 
The  same  policy,  adopted  by  „aZ  I  ,       "'"  "'  ""ngannon. 
ftances,  protected  the  m,no'g"ou™  tf     ,T""  """"  '"'"'- 
•n  the  most  remote  districniTh!  „  '"?  "'  '™''"  "'si- 
.-Pie  Of  Xyraw,ey-long  .tfr^ /eSr  rth^X^.^ 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


801 


Bnglarid  had  ceased  to  consider  them  as  fellow-suhjecta,  or  to  be 
concerned  for  their  existence. 
In  like  manner  tlie  detached  towns,  built  by  foreigners,  of 
.  Welsh,  Flemish,  Saxon  or  Scottish  origin,  were  now  talTen  "  un- 
der the  protection"  of  the  neiahboring  chief,  or  Piince,  and  paid 
to  him  or  to  his  bailiff  an  annual  tax  for  such  protection.    la 
this  manner  Wexford  purchased  protection  of  McMurroah,  Lim- 
erick from  O'Brien,  and  Dundalk  from  O'NeiJ.    But  the  yoke 
was  not  always  borne  with  patience,  nor  did  the  bare  relation  of 
tax-gatherer  and  tax-payer  generate  any  very  cordial  feeling  be- 
tween the  parties.    Emboldened  by  the  arrival  of  a  powerfuFoe- 
puty,  or  a  considerable  accession  to  the  Colony,  or  taking  advan- 
tage of  contested  elections  for  the  chieftaincy  among  m^eir  pro- 
tectors, these  sturdy  communities  sometimes  sought°by  force  to 
get  rid  of  their  native  masters.    Yet  in  no  case  at  this  period 
were  such  town  lisings  ultimately  successful.    The  appearance 
of  a  menacing  force,  and  the  threat  of  the  torch,  soon  brought  the 
refractory  burgesses  to  terms.    On  such  an  occasion  (1444)  Dun- 
dalk paid  Owen  O'Neil  the  sum  of  60  marks  and  two  tuns  of  wine 
to  avert  his  indignation.    On  another,  the  townsmen  of  Limerick 
agreed  about  the  same  period  to  pay  annually  forever  to  O'Brien 
the  sum  of  60  marks.    Notwithstanding  the  precarious  tenure  o. 
their  existence  they  all  continued  jealously  to  guard  their  exclu- 
sive privileges.    In  the  oath  of  office  taken  by  the  Mayor  of 
Dublin  (1388)  he  is  sworn  to  guard  the  city's  franchises,  so  that 
no  Irish  rebel  shall  intrude  upon  the  limits.    Nicholas  O'Grady, 
Abbot  of  a  Monastery  in  Clare,  is  mentioned  in  1485  as  "  the 
twelfth  Irishman  that  ever  possessed  the  freedom  of  the  city  of 
Limerick"  up  to  that  time.    A  special  by-law,  at  a  still  later 
period,  was  necessary  to  admit  Colonel  William  O'Shaughnessy,  of 
one  of  the  first  families  in  that  county,  to  the  freedom  of  the  Cor- 
poration of  the  town  of  Oalway.    Exclusiveness  on  the  one  side, 
and  arbitrary  taxation  on  the  other,  were  ill  means  of  ensuring 
the  prosperity  of  these  new  trading  communities ;  Freedom  ani 
Peace  have  ever  been  as  essential  to  commerce  as  the  winds  and 
waves  are  to  navigation. 

The  dissolution  and  reorganization  of  the  greater  clans  neces. 
•arily  included  the  remova  of  old,  and  the  formation  of  new 


.jamm 

^P^^H^^^^B 

Ml 

mM 

I^^l 

802 


POPtTLAR    HISTORT   OF    IRELAND. 


w 

ht 


'"■"Rgte  of  ,„„  d^oTpt  J  1"T  "■■""""  """'■•'""'°  «f  "■• 

fifteenth  century,  ia  ,  S    "wTh       °"="'  '•»  O"-- Ann.I,  in  ,h, 

calling  themselves  "l„,d,'/rl*'^''"»''"  "^tablished  at  Sh-go, 
»."»  Of  Donegal,  t:  er„  tr  aCtT"'^:  "'  '"»  "'■'"•'• 
«ub>ct  to  .he  Donegal  cWeft  b!,  ■  ^^"  ''"'  ''^''""y  *-"■> 
after  the  era  of  E.|«rcl  C^  °  '"t  ''°"'  """""^  <"  Sligo, 
pay  tribute,  b„t  enrle,  "'=''■  """'"ly  refused  any  longer  to 

"way  to  the  bank,  of  ih,.        ,„s"l  1™'  il'"'''  '»  «'en1  ".sir 
less  than  the  power  of  the  O'DonnelN  "''    ■""  P""'  "»' 

this  innovation,  for  in  the  ,ni,fst  of l.T^'^'''"""'  '"  '""'""^1 
famous  monnlain  of  Ben  Qu  bl  ^^''^'^We  land  rose  th^ 

tl.e  name  of  the  flrst  f  „e    „  "t  eir^  k""'"'™''  "'""'>  "<"■« 
therefore,  bequeathed   from  fa  he  ''     ^"°  """'<»'  ™». 

Sligo,  under  the  lead  of  Their  '""'  ""'   "■»  '"■»")'  » 

-I-ntage  of  actual  possesio^  '^T/'"'''  =""  "'"""» 
«e«.pUo„  of  their  .eM  ^ Ln:''!  '"  "'"""*'"»"  ""> 
Drowse,  which  carries  the  surnlusT  ,  ?"""'  "'"'"'»•  "iO 
Melvin  into  the  bay  oLnetZ,? ,°' ""'''""'''"' '^""Sh 

between  Lower  ConLughta'jTVeote,"""'  ""  '"'™''-^ 

We  have  already  alluded  lo  the  iZ'i  .i 
combination  among  the  Wsl   i'  Th     L  f ,    '  "'"  "'  P°"«'»'l 
was  occasionally  f„u  by  thel^"         "'"'""  ^«'«-    Tbi.  I„s, 
"ate.    It  was  fflt  bv  dCm TC' oCi  *  "h'V"  "="""''  »"" 
with  him  into  the  house  of  CW  M  '""'  '■'"'"'  "'">  «'ent 

»-  Mt  by  .he  nobleswtoat  Cn?;;""'  ?'''°"°^'  '"  "^S,  it 
■■»  1268;  it  was  relt  „y  t  e  tl^;  "r,''  ''r"'"  ""'""  O'^^'    ' 
f 'ward  Bruce,  "a  mLTf  ',:;    T.d     :"d  ^  ^a''"^'  '■""''J 
it  was  impnlofl  as  a  crime  lo  A,t  iu„.,  *^  """  "'™i 

designed  to  claim  the  gene^t  ov  """"  '"'  '"''■  '"«  ''» 
century,  Thaddon,  O'Brien  p"  """f"'"''''  ""'  "'»'  In  thi, 
tbe  Irish  Of  .1,0  southefn  lif  ;  ::  °'  ^'"""""-  "•'">  «-  aid  of 
Of  the  last  Antiquary  of  I,  ca  ,  'T'  T'""  ""  "^'  '""  "'"'^^ 


Popular  history  of  Ireland. 


808 


iommer  of  1466  at  the  head  of  the  largest  army  which  had 
followed  any  of  his  ancestors  since  the  days  of  Kin^  Brian. 
He  renewed  his  protection  to  the  town  of  Limerick,  entered 
into  an  alliance  with  the  Earl  of  Desmond— which  alliance 
seems  to  have  cost  Desmond  his  head — received  in  his  camp 
the  hostages  of  Oriuond  and  Ossory,  and  gave  gifts  to  the 
lords  of  Leinster.  Simultaneously,  OConor  of  Offally  had 
achieved  a  great  success  over  the  Palesmen,  taking  prisoner 
the  Earl  of  Desmond,  the  Prior  of  Trim,  the  Lords  Barnwall, 
Plunkett,  Nugent,  and  other  Methian  magnates-  a  circumstance 
which  also  seems  to  havo  some  connection  with  the  fate  of  Des- 
mond and  Plunkett,  who  were  the  next  year  tried  for  treason 
and  executed  at  Drogheda,  by  order  of  the  Earl  of  Worcester, 
then  deputy.  Tlie  usual  Anglo-Irish  tales,  as  to  the  causes  of 
Desmond's  losing  the  favor  of  Edward  IV.,  seem  very  like  after- 
inventions.  It  is  much  more  natural  to  attribute  that  sudden 
change  to  some  connection  with  the  attempt  of  O'Brien  the 
previous  year— since  this  only  makes  intelligible  the  accusation 
against  him  of  '^alliance,  fosterage,  and  alterage  with  the 
King's  Irish  enemies." 

From  Leinster  O'Brien  recrossed  the  Shannon,  and  overran 
the  country  of  the  Clan-William  Burke.  But  the  ancient  jea- 
lousy of  Leath-Oonn  would  not  permit  its  proud  chiefs  to  ren- 
der hostage  or  homage  to  a  Munster  Prince,  of  no  higher  rank 
than  themselves.  Disappointed  in  his  hopes  of  that  union  which 
could  alone  restore  the  monarchy  in  the  person  of  a  native  ruler, 
the  descendant  of  Brian  returned  to  Kinkora,  where  he  shortly 
afterwards  fell  ill  of  fever  and  died.  "It  was  commonly 
reported,"  says  the  Antiquary  of  Lecan,  "that  the  multitudes 
envious  eyes  and  hearts  shortened  his  days." 

The  naturalized  Norman  noble  spoke  the  language  of  the 
Gael,  and  retained  his  Brehonp  and  Bards  like  his  Milesian  com 
peer.  For  generations  the  daughters  of  the  elder  race  had  been 
the  mothers  of  his  house ;  and  the  milk  of  Irish  foster  mothers 
had  nourished  the  infancy  of  its  heirs.  The  Geraldines,  the 
McWilliams,  even  the  Butlers,  among  their  tenants  and  soldiers, 
were  now  as  Irish  as  the  Irish.  Whether  allies  or  enemies, 
rivals  or  as  relatives,  they  stood  as  near  to  their  neighbors  of 


80i 


POPULAR   niSTORT   OP  IRELAND. 


Celtic  orlsln  as  tlmy  jij  ,.  ,i.  .         , 

ienny"  had  proclaimed  the  1  na^l  '^f"  "  *^""»  °'  •f"" 
nP  to  tbU  period  it  had  failed  r/,"^"'""  °'  ""  '•«"».  but 
Mt  free  to  developa  whaT  t  '  T.  ?  """  °'  """'  ""''>'"  «■■, 
to  the™.  ,.hat  Z  n,ea„  :;;„??  rf  ""'  "-'  -'"™' 
no  general  or  loog-s„stai„ed  comhintf-  ,  "•  """  """•»  "■" 
""ppresaion  of  the  other  from  the  ^   ??  "'  ""»  "•«»  '<"■  th. 

Katire  Irish  life  therefore    hro?/":'""*  °'  ""'  "'formation. 
«"<•  during  the  «rst  h  "  ;,  .he|vm  ""  """"  <"  ""  ^^th 
•hape  and  direct  itself,  to  ends  of  It  *  ""T"  ""'  ■"  '««  '« 
b-en  H  almost  any  fo.T^er  "iod  .         ?  ■"""""«•  »'  "  •■>« 
•"■J  hereditary  b,ood-fe"d  ,  n  "t  af  erT;  ,'"°'^-    ^""'"  """ 
were  the  worst  vices  of  then'uL      n  1°  '"''  "'  """""a'  «nity, 
Of  retaliation  were  as  co™::;  ;  ,h."f  °'  "'""'"='  «""  '^^ 
"'ft     Erery  free  clansmarcarr  ed  t  T"'"™  "'  ""^  «»'» 
»nd  chase,  to  festival  and  fat„       ""'  """'-"o  to  charch 
prompt  to  Obey  the  flerytapnle Td  7"'  '"'""^  "™  "« 
»oIemn  sadness,  that  almosT  ./  '"""  •"  '"'""■'ts'l  ta 

period  is  stained  -Uh  hnl  7„o77?"  -»"°*  «'  '"i" 
violence  are  com„„n,  crimes  of  1  ,  ""'  """'^''  ""»«  of 
■nory  of  a  McMahon.  who  betml  ^  "^"^  '"  '"''■    The  me- 
'J'^^  by  the  same'  rtoical    S/"t  '""  "''  ^"■'"-  "  «»" 
»mgle  expression  of  horror  ihl  n'      °  '°'  ''''"■">  "'"'""t  a 
""■M    Taktosoffbyposon    ' l""™  ■»"*■•<"  oW^f  after 
raries,  seem,  to  have  beraitlthr"V™°°"  "■*  «»'™Po- 
•iosof  the  State  Prisons  of^fX?;""'"' ""''  "■»  "=™'"- 
our  fierce,  impetuous  but  uJ-     V         *-'^  Miidreamt  of  bv 

whichsotoatothetp^ir'??',?""'''""'    '''■•'-^ 
the  frequent  entries  which  ttVofd^™  *''^°  "-»  "«- 
ouous  criminals,  having  thelr  ev„s      f'^"'^  '''"'''•  orconspl. 
their  members.    By  rhese  bll  '     °°''  "  "''""  ■"«™=''  i" 
-te,if  not  life,  b'„t    h      i'^X"!"";"'"""  '"'^  '»' 
remnant  of  existence  which  remt-nT.     "'  '"'''"  »  ""-"tched 
the  maimed  warrior,  or   he  cripoTd  ,•  ^  ""  "'''""'^  '"-,  o, 
-ocjaland  religion,' ^lisextittt "' '''"""•    «'  "■« 
"b""  have  occasion  to  speak  mon  %  ,?    '™  *'  ■•"=«,  we 
present  Book.  ****  """^  ^""7  before  closing  ,h^ 


POPULAR   HWTORT   OF   IRELAND. 


805 


. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OOHTOITED  DIVISION  AND  DKOLINB  OP  "  THE  ENGLISH  INTEREST" 
—RICHARD,  DUKE  OP  YORK,  LORD  LIEUTENANT— CIVIL  WA» 
AGAIN  IN  ENGLAND— EXECUTION  OP  THE  EARL  OP  DESMOND- 
ASCENDANCY  OP  THE  KILDAKE  OEKALDINES. 

We  have  already  described  the  h'mits  to  which  "  the  Pale" 
was  circumscribed  at  the  beginning  of  the  XlVth  century.  The 
fortunes  of  that  inconsiderable  settlement  during  the  following 
century  hardly  rise  to  the  level  of  historical  importance,  nor 
would  the  recital  of  them  be  at  all  readable  but  for  the  ultimate 
consequences  which  ensued  from  the  preservation  of  those  last 
remains  of  foreign  power  in  the  i8land.  On  that  account, 
however,  we  have  to  consult  the  barren  annals  of  "  the  Pale" 
through  the  intermediate  period,  that  we  may  make  clear  the 
accidents  by  which  it  was  preserved  from  destruction,  and  en- 
abled to  play  a  part  in  after-times,  undreamt  of  and  inconceiva- 
ble, to  those  who  tolerated  its  existence  in  the  ages  of  which  we 
speak. 

On  the  northern  coasts  of  Ireland  the  co-operation  of  the 
friendly  Scots  with  the  native  Irish  had  long  been  a  soiii-ce  of 
anxiety  to  the  Palesmen.    In  the  year  1404,  Dongan,  Bishop 
Df  Derry,  and  Sir  Jenicho  d'Artois,  were  appointed  Commission- 
ers by  Henry  IV.,  to  conclude  a  permanent  peace  with  McDon- 
ald, Lord  of  the  Isles,  but  notwithstanding  that  form  was  then 
gone  through,  during  the  reigns  of  all  the  Lancasterian  Kings, 
evidence  of  the  Hiborno-Scotch  alliance  being  still  in  existence, 
constantly  recurs.    In  the  year  1430  an  address  or  petition  of  the 
Dublin  Council  to  the  King  sets  forth  "  that  the  enemies  and 
rebels,  aided  by  the  Scots,  had  conquered  or  rendered  tributary 
almost  .every  part  of  the  country,  except  the  county  of  Duh- 
Un,"    The  presence  of  Henry  Vih  in  Ireland  had  been  urgently 


800 


POPULAR    BISTORT    OP   IRELAND. 


France,  left  I,.c.Ia„,|,„r.lL,''  "■'  "f"™  'k"  conquest  „( 
counlry,  eren  by  the  formal  rfl      ^       ^^''"  ''"^"^  '"  """ 

France,  bad  r,^~l  thf^lbl^ZT  "7 «'''''' ^''''''''''  <" 
the  accession  of  Henry  Vlth  eLm  u  """''"'"'•  ^''"  ™ 
*«»  appointed  Lord  Ll„ie„a,f  2  n   "■■""""••  ^'"■'  <"  ""«". 

refused  to  ackno»  edge  DanZv"!  n  ^  "■- ""  '""■'  «"»""'"K 
■Mission  wa,  given  unde"  iT»  ^  ?""'""»"""'«'"«»  his  com 
Having   effecred  bis  'b  ec"  JT  '™'  °'  "^'O  M-"™"- 
directed   bis  s„bseo..e„t  a,  L^  """'""''■  ""  ^rcbbisbop 

the  Chief  favorites  oVrbWo^fr""'  """""•"  "™»"''' 
«isn.  In  U41,  at  T^  Z  "T"  "'  ""  <"»"'^"' '"  'hat 
appointed  to  cnvev  ccrlain  ,  '•  ;"■'""»«"■  messengers  were 
wi^cb  was  to  prelri"  E, t'  o-m'  d'r^'  '"'  ""^O""  "' 
lord  lieutenant,  a.legi„„  a.-i„st  bL  '"'"'  '"'"«  """e 

former  administration  Ld"  «!•,.'"'  """5°™»nors  in  bis 

EnWand-migbt  be  n^ed  T^t  offlceT '' '"''"'''^ '"''  "' 
more  cSectnally  ■■  than  any  r  -L  ""=""  ">»  '»'«■ 

IMS  attempt  to  de  "rovlbj    «    "  """'  *''  °'  '™  ""'  "»•" 
Hance  between  tba    Z  »   f^T  "'  """""O  '="  '»  «"  al- 
Earl  Of  Desmon,      Sif";l:  „!"  ''""''•  """"'"'  -'""'h 
(distinguisbed  as  "«    Xl"'  Tm^'  -™^  '°"^"'  ^"' 
Eleanor  Butler  da,i»hf., T/.^  ">'i>o,c.aa),  by  tbe  lady 

..ood,  tberefore  I  Ih  ",,  T""  ^"'  "^  0™°""-  H^ 
"-d  Of  the  Buu:  famV  7h"e„  bi"""".'"  ""' -'-P°«ry 
violat  d  the  Statute  o  Kili^  t  """""r  ^'">'«=''  "P^'r 
Catherine  McCormae   iL  ,    ,  7'    '^  "''"•■•>'i"S  'he  beautiful 

anxious  to  enfor™  that  statute  r^d"'  """'"'"'  '"•™-« 


POPULAR    niBTORY    OF    IRELAWD. 


80T 


" 


•ities  of  Desmond   and  Ormond  united  these  houdes,  but  the 
money  of  the  English  Arciibishop  of  Dublin,  backed  l)y  the  in- 
fluence of  his  illustrious  brother,  proved  equal  to  thorn  both. 
In  t.e  first  twenty-five  years   of  the  rei^n   of   Henry   Vlth, 
(1422-1447,)    Ormnnd  was  five   times  lieutenant   or    deputy, 
and  Talbot  five  timt-.i  Deputy,  Lord  Justice,  or  Lord  Commis. 
Bloner.    Their  factions  controversy  culminated  with  "the  arti- 
cles" adopted  in  1441,  which  alloyether  failed  of  the  intended 
effect;  Ormond  was   reappointed  two  years  afterwards   to  big 
old  oflUco  •  nor  was  it  till  1446,  when  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury 
was  a  third  time  sent  over,  that  the  Talbots  had  any  substantial 
advantage  over  their  rivals.    The  recall  of  the  Earl  for  service 
in  France,  and  the  death  of  the  Archbishop  two  ye&rs  later, 
though  it  deprived  the  party  they  had  formed  of  a  resident 
leader,  did  not  lead  to  its  dissolution.    Bound  together  by  com- 
mon interests  and  dangers,  thei -  action  may  be  traced  in  oppo- 
silioii  to  the  Geraldines,  through  the  remaining  years  of  Henry 
Vlth,  and  perhaps  so  late  as  the  earlier  years  of  Henry  Vllth 
(1485-1500). 

In  the  struggle  of  dyna&Mos  from  which  England  sufTerou  so 
severely  during  the  XVth  century,   the   drama  of   ambition 
shifted  its  scenes  from  London  and  York  to  Calais  and  Dublin. 
The  appointment  oT  Richard,  Duke  of  York,  as  Lord  Lieutenant, 
in  1449,  presented  hhn  an  opportunity  of  creating  a  Yorkist 
party  among  the  nobles  and  people  of  "  the  Pale."    TJiis  ablt 
and  ambitious  Prince  possessed  in  his  hereditary  estate  resources 
equal  to  great  enterprizes.     He  was  in  the  first  place  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  third  son  of  Edward  III. ;  on  the  death  of  his 
cousin  the  Earl  of  March,  in  1424,  he  became  heir  to  that  pro- 
perty and  title.    He  was  Duke  of  York,  Earl  of  March,  and 
Earl  of  Rutland,  in  England  ;  Earl  of  Ulster  aud  Earl  of  Cork, 
Lord   of  Connaught,  Clare,  Mea-th,  and  Trim,  in   Ireh.nd.    He 
had  been   tv^-ice   Regent  of  France,  during  the  minority   of 
Henry,  where  he  upheld   the  cause  of  the  Plantagenet  King 
with  signal  ability.    By  the  peace  concluded  at  Toui ;,  between 
England,  France,  and  Burgundy,  in  1444,  he  was  enabled  to 
return  to  England,  where  the  King  had  lately  come  of  age,  and 
begun  to  exhibit  tiie  weak  though  amiable  disposition  which 


I 


806 


POPULAR    ,„8T0RT   OF   IRELAKD. 

Hucoeflfllng  I 


thre* 


M  to  M,  „1„.    Th.  „,„„  of 

f""   """  calculated   to  e,p„,,  ,l„,r„  ,„  „ 

'"l>jects  „„,!    the  machination,   of   l! 

'own   f.n.l   ,„ovi,ic«  afi.r  .       •  «n«nilo.'.    Town  after 

"-popularity,  tleCflrtesr^r  "T  '""  '"^'='"""'" 
•n.l  murdered  „.  „a     the  K   "°  ""•''  '""'''''"'■  P"™""". 

the  Duke  of  01n„ces,:er  t       "    ""°''"'  ''"'"'"'"  "«""''■■'  a"d 
-ign  and  circut  a„  ,   ', X.rT'  '^  ''™"-»°  "•»'  «-  ^ 
tl..  ambltiou,  Duk,     Wh '„     r  ?""'""'  '"^-'-S^ent  to 
w.«  offered,  i„  „rde    to  se  "'rate  h      '/  "^   """  "'»'""""«y 
a"'  r,fu,ed  It;  aubse,  0 r   1  I  r  ""  '""'""■  '"  »' 
tions  dictated  by  himlelf  c.liT,  ?  '       °'"P'"'' »"  "=«""'- 
own  n,a.ter.    Til^Zdlt  ^l^  '™-.  '""  """"^  '"■« 
of  an  Indenture  between  the  l^.^       .    '    '"'""«  '"  ">«  'o™ 
lieutenancy  to  a  period  oVten^'        !"'  ""'"'■  """"«'  "'» 
«ti™  revenue  o?  I  eh.^d  an  an     ',     T"'  '""■■  "«""»  "■* 
full  power  to  let  tl,e  Sa  land  to",     '     f  ^  '™'"  ^"°'°"" ' 
•o  Plac,  or  displace  a  ,  „ffl    ','  ^7  w  """""■'"  =°"''"'' 
"'um  to  England  at  Id    p     :„^  "T'"'  "  "^P"'.'.  and  to 
Regent  of  Prance  undertook,.!.  "''"  "™»  ">«  «- 

■ettleraent  in  Ireland  ^°  SO'emment  of  «,„  E„„,i,j 

the  limlta  of  hi,  government     «.?     '  """^  "■""  ">  «''"<» 
horn  to  him,  and  bapTed  wi  th  uZ  ■"'  °"'™'  "  '»"  "»' 

«fth  Earl  of  Ormond  and  Thl     '  .T"  '"  ""^  '""*•    '>■"«», 
■nvited  to  stand  a,  t^J'ZZ  Hnf!  'f  "•  '"'™"'"'' ""» 

choice,  he  steadilyUeveredduri'rhi/rhr'"'''''''^'''^"''' 
Ireland-which  lasted  till  hlZI       7  °''  """"^tion  with 

".medaBntlerandaOeL    en   t""  '"»•    Alternately  ho 
failed  ultimately  to  win  the  1°,    r  "'     '"''  ""'  '""'°""''  "" 

party  of  hi,  family, r,ecur!d  he  ar""  '""^  ""'  """"''"''' 
kinsmen.  Stirrin.  oventalrEn  J,  ^^  ■"""'  "'  '"""''  <"  h" 
»ent,  made  it  ..leZZ^^^r^T  ''  ""  """  "'  ""'"""'■ 
-npopularlty  of  the  admfn  Nation  1  ^r.T'^'"^'^'  ^"^ 
rapidly  augmented.    17^™!^^.  ;'  ''°"'*'"  ""»  '>»" 

Of  -.-.udy.  for  four  ceuiirafrdtrcrcr:! 


f  Ml 


. 


POPULAR    HISTORY    Of   IRELAND. 


809 


Hothlnu  but  Calais  remalnml  of  all  the  ConUnenlal  po8soH«!c,ni 
Tvhich  the   Plautagonets  had  inherited,  and  wliicsh   Henry  Vth 
had  done  ho  nmcli  to  strengthen  and  exten<l.     Domestic  abuses 
asaravated  tlie  discontent  arising  from  foretgn  defeats     Tlie 
Bishop  of  Chicliester,  one  of  the  ministers,  was  set  upon  and 
Blain  I'y  a  mob  at  Portsmouth.    Twenty  thousand  men  of  Kent 
under  the  command  of  Jack  Cade,  an  Anglo-Irishman,  who  had 
g  ven  himself  out  as  a  son  of  the  last  Earl  of   ^rarch,  who 
died  In  the  Irish  government  twenty-five  years  before,  marched 
upon  London.    They  defeated  a  royal  force  at  Sevenoal<s.  and 
the  city  opened  Its  gate  at  the  summons  of  Cade.    The  Kentish 
men  tock  possession  of  Southwark.  wliile  their  Irish  leader  for 
three  days,  eniering  the   city  every  morning,  compelled  tho 
mayor  and  the  judges  to  sit  in  the  Guildhall,  tried  and  sen- 
tenced Lord  Say  to  death,  who,  ^hh  his  son-in-law,  Cromer. 
.Sheriff  of  Kent,  was  accordingly  executed.    Every  evening,  as 
he  had  promised  the  citizens,  he  retired  with  his  guards  across 
the  river,  preserving   the  strictest  order  among   them.     But 
the   royalists  were  not  idle,  and  when,  on   the  fourth  morn- 
Ing,  Cade   attempted  as    usual   to   enter  London   proper,   he 
found    the    bridge    of   Southwark   barricaded    and    defended 
by  a  strong  force  under  the  Lord  Scales.    After  six  hours' 
hard    flghtmg  his    raw  levies   were   repulsed,  and    many  of 
them  accepted  a  free  pardon  tendered  to  them  in  the  moment 
of  defeat.    Cade  retired  with  the  remainder  on  Deptford  and 
Rochester,  but  gradually  abandoned  by  them,  he  was  surprised 
half  famished  in  a  garden  at  Heyfield,  and  put  to  death.    His 
captor  claimed  and  received  the  large  reward  of  a  thousand 
marks  offered  for  his  head.    This  was  m  the  second  week  of 
July;   on  the  Ist  of  September,  news  was  brought  to  London 
that  the  Duke  of  York  had  suddenly  landed  from  Ireland.    His 
partizans  eagerly  gathered  round  him  at  his  castle  of  Potherin- 
gay,  but  for  five  years  longer,  by  the  repeated  concessions  of 
the  gentle-minded   Henry,  and  the  interposition  of  powerful 
mediators,  the  actual  war  of  the  roses  was  postponed. 

It  is  beyond  our  province  to  follow  the  details  of*  that  foro- 
cious  struggle,  which  was  waged  almost  incessantly  from  MSg 
tin  1471-from  the  first  battle  of  St.  Albans  till  the  final  battle 


SI 


Milt 


810 


POPCLAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


at  Tewksbury.    We  are  interested  in  it  mainly  as  it  connecti 
the  fortunes  of  the  Ar.glo-Irish  Earls  with  one  or  other  of  th^ 
dynast.es;  and  their  fortunes  again,  with  the  benefit  or  did 
vantage  Of  their  allies  and  relatives  among  o„r  native  Prices. 
Of  the  transact, oRs  ,n  England,  it  may  be  sufficient  to  say  tha 
•     T^      .%     ^'■^'  '"''■  ''''  '''''^'y  ''  St.  Albans  in  J  la 

cnt'lauh  '^T'^':'  ^'^  '-''''  ^"-^  Henry,  imbl 
cn^ty ,  that  the  next  year  the  King  recovered  and  the  Protector's 
Office  was  abcMshed  ;  that  in  '57  both  parties  stood  at  bl  710 

heath,  but  being  defeated  at  Ludiford,  Duke  Richard,  with  ono 
of  his  sons,  fled  for  safety  into  Ireland. 

JLZ7  ''"  ""'".'^  "'  ^'''™^^''  ^^^°   "^«  ^"gJtive  Duke 

excised  "r""^.     : '"'  '''"^"'""^  "^'^'^  ^°  '^'  ^--"V 
exerc.  ed.    Legally,  his  commission,  for  those  who  recognized 

the  authority  of  King  Henry,  had  expired  four  months  before^ 

maioritv'n'r  f''\''T /""''  '"''  '''''  ^"'  ''  '^   -'^'-^  the 
majority  of  the  Anglo-I.ish  received  him  as  a  Prince  of  their 

own  election  rather  than  as  an  ordinary  Viceroy.    He  held 

soon  after  his  arrival,  a  Parliament  at  Dublin,  which  met  by' 

adjournment  at  Drogheda  the  following  spring.    The  English 

Parliament  having  declared  him.  his  duchess,  sons,  and  prir!- 

cipal  adherents  traitors,  and  writs  to  that  effect  having  been  .ent 

over,  the  Irish  Parliament   passed  a  declaratory   Act  {H60^ 

making  the  service  of  all  sucli   writs  treason  against  thJ 

authority-"  it  having  been  ever  customary  in  their  land   to 

receive  and  entertain  strangers  with  due  respect  and  hospi- 

tahty.      Under  this  law,  an  emissary  of  the  Earl  of  Orraond 

upon  whom  English  writs  against  the  fugitives  were  found,  was 

executed  as  a  traitor.     This  independent  Parliament  confirmed 

the  Duke  m  his  office;  made  it  high  treason  to  imagine  his 

death,  and-taking  advantage  of  the  favorable  conjuncture  of 

affairs-they  further  declared  that  the  i-diabitants  of  Ireland 

could  only  be  bound  by  laws  made  in  Ireland  ;    that  no  writs 

were  of  force  unless  issued  under  the  great  seal  of  Ireland  ;  that 

the  realm  had  of  ancient  right  its  own  Lord  Constable  and  Ear) 

Marshal,  by  whom  alone  trials  for  treason  alleged  to  have  beer 


POPULAR    H18T0B1     OF    lEELAND. 


311 


oommitted  in  Ireland  could  be  c  inducted.  In  the  same  busy 
spring,  the  Earl  of  Warwick  (so  celebrated  as  "the  King- 
maker" of  English  history)  sailed  from  Calais,  of  which  he  wag 
Constable,  with  the  Chaanel-fieet,  of  which  he  was  also  in  com- 
mand, and  doubling  the  Land's  end  of  Englarxl,  arrived  at 
Dublin  to  concert  measures  for  another  rising  in  England.  He 
found  the  Duke  at  Dublin,  "surrounded  by  his  ^Earls  and 
homagers,"  and  measures  were  soon  concerted  between  them. 

An  appeal  to  the  English  nation  was  prepared  at  this  Confer- 
ence, charoing  upon  Henry's  advisers  that  they  had  written  to 
the  French  King  to  besiege  Calais,  and  to  the  Irish  Princes  to 
expel  the  English  settlers.  The  loyalty  of  the  fugitive  lords, 
and  their  readiijess  to  prove  their  innocence  before  their  sove- 
reign, were  stoutly  asserted.  Emissaries  were  despatched  in 
every  direction ;  troops  were  raised ;  Warwick  soon  after  landed 
in  Kent— always  strongly  pro- Yorkist— defeated  the  ro.yali>t3 
at  Nortliampton  in  July,  and  the  Duke  reaching  London  in 
October  a  compromise  was  agreed  to,  after  much  discussion,  in 
which  Henry  wa^  to  have  the  crown  for  life,  while  the  Duke 
was  acknowledged  as  his  successor,  and  created  president  of  his 
council. 

We  have  frequently  remarked  in  our  history  the  recurrence 
of  conflicts  between  the  north  and  south  of  the  island.  The 
same  thing  is  distinctly  traceable  through  the  annals  of  Eng- 
land down  to  a  quite  recent  period.  Whether  diflFerence  of 
race,  or  of  admixture  of  race,  may  not  lie  a',  the  foandation 
of  such  long-living  enmities,  we  will  not  here  attempt  to  dis- 
cuss;  such,  however,  is  the  fact.  Queen  Margaret  had  fled 
northward  after  the  defeat  of  Northampton  towards  the  Scottish 
border,  from  which  she  now  returned  at  the  head  of  20  000 
men.  The  Duke  advanced  rapidly  to  meet  her,  and  engaging 
with  a  far  inferior  force  at  Wakefield,  was  slain  in  the  fiel.l,  or 
beheaded  after  the  battle.  All  now  seemed  lost  to  the  Yorkist 
party,  when  young  Ed^vard,  son  of  Duke  Richard,  advancing 
from  the  marches  of  Wales  at  the  head  of  an  army  equal  in 
numbers  to  the  royalists,  won  in  the  month  of  February,  1461, 
the  battles  of  Mortimers-cro.ss  and  Barnet,  and  was  crowned  at 
Westminster  in  March,  by  the  title  of  Edward  IV.    The  saa. 


313 


POPOLAB   HISTOBT   OP  IKELAKD. 


a  prisoner,  and  once  to  fly  the  countiv    rH^  .  .  «    n 
le»Resbury  (1471),  the  Lancasteiian  Prince  Edward  was  nnl 

of  rl.  n"*"  '"°'''  ""'■y.Barl  of  Bichmond,  grandj" 
of  Cathenne,  Qaeen  of  Henry  V.  and  0«n  Ap  Tndor  the  onW 
ron,a,n,ng  leader  capable  of  rallying  the  beaS,  ^C  2 
dn  en  ,„t„  e.,ie  In  Prance,  from  which  he  returned  f^rtle" 
yea„  afterwards  to  contest  the  crown' with  Richard  in 

the  Lancastenan  cause  was  James  V.,  Earl  of  Ormond.    He  tad 
can  created  by  He.ry.  Earl  of  Wiltshire,  during  bfa  Z^, 
bft.,rae,„  the  same  year  In  which  his  father  stofd  sponsor  i» 
Dubhn  for  the  son  of  the  Duke.    He  succeeded  to  the  ^711^ 
and  estates  In  1461,  held  a  foremost  rank  in  almost  a    the  « 
ga«emenis  from  .he  battle  of  Saint  Albans  to  that  of  T  „  on  t 
wh,ch  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  evented  by  order  of  Edwa^ 
IV     H,s  blood  was  declared  attainted  and  his  estates  forfeited  = 
but  a  few  years  later  both  the  title  and  property  were  r«  Z^ 
to  8ir  John  Butler,  the  sixth  Earl.    On  the  e' e'f Zop^ 
ure  between  the  Roses,  another  name  Intimately  associatlS  wlt^ 
Ireland  disappeared  from  the  roll  of  the  English  nobility     The 

veteran  Talbot,  EariofShrewsbury.intheelghtiethyearofhisa.e 
accep  ed  the  command  of  the  English  forces  In  France,  retook V^ 

hllon  m  the  subsequent  campai»n_1458.    His  son.  Lord  Lisle 
was  sla.n  at  the  same  time  defending  h-s  father's  body.    Amon» 
other  consequences  which  ensued,  the  Talbot  interest  in  Ireland 
-utrered  from  the  loss  of  so  powerful  a  patron  at  the  e"  li  h 
court     We  have  only  to  add  that  at  Wakefield,  and  in  most  of 

lent! 'tLTlT""','"""  ™'  '  '"""^  *°Slo-Irish  contm. 

Srl™l  ?,  ""'"■  '"*  "  ™^""  °"« -«!"<■%  tenanta  of 
Orn,ond-.on  the  opposM.'o  side.  Many  writers  complain  that  the 
House  of  York  drained  "the  Pale"  of  it.  defendlrs,  and  t^« 


v^ 


POPDLAB   BISTOKr   OF  IRBIAKD.  818 

despite  of   the  Geraldi.™    r    T  j"'"'"— Wf  some  years,  m 
and  Defend  the'e"  Id  fh,  h-,?    """"•     ''''"'"'■'  "- 

an^  or  .l^^ZVr  Z  ZC    T,  '  ''™"  '°  "'"="»"■  "^  ""' 
repaired  to  L„„d„„  ,„  vLfelT  "/="  ^'""'  '"="  P«"y 

-ni"".    The  Bisi,„p  seel  r*. '  ""T''  '"^  "'"•""^'  •>!»  antag. 
Tiptoft,  Earl  of  Worcelr  Im  ■     T^,""''  ""  '"  ""«■  •'»'•» 

yar.  gave  Tipioft  ar„„„A";  '     '"^'  ''«''"»d,  the  same 

summoned  them  before  him  a  DroSa  i„l.  ,  "'""''  " 
ruary.  Kildare  wisely  fled  to  En,l».d?  "' ""=  Mlo^ing  Feb- 
cence  succesfuiiy  wfthtrEtflrCrf "'':?"  '°"°- 
over-confldent  of  their  own  i„fl„™„  "'°"''  ""''  P'nnltett, 

tried,  condemned,  and  beheS  Th'""'''  '°  "™"'"«"''  ""« 
on  the  16th  day  of  Pebrnarr  1467  ItT  -T""."  '°*  '"»™ 
Tiptoft,  a  few  yea.  later,  „n'der™t  th  fet  "t" !"  "'"  "'^' 
out  excitin.  a  oartioT.  „f  ,u  '"'"  '°  ^"S'and,  witli. 

TaoH«,  Vifth  Ear,  of  k-m'"""""^  '»"  ""  »-™™''- 
from  England  "  th  n^eT'  '"''T^''  ™  "'^  ^"^  -"■™ 
office  of  ChanceZ   after  iT^"  "' "'  '""  '•^''"'•''-    l""' 

Bishop  Sherwood  a:;d"e:flrmd":rht'f'rVr  '°''^°  '""^  ' 
twelfth,  Edward  III     He  hTd  h  °  ''^  ""  "='  °'  t^o 

Tiptoft's  recall,  ,„  1467  and  f         """""*  '"•"  ^"''«<^»  '"" 

tillefor  thatof'tordDltv  J,h  '""       "  '""""'""^   "" 

Wo  nominal  Lieutenam   t  UT,   '°°''"  '"'"«'"' Cla,™ce- 

^tenant.    I„  1475,  on  some  change  of  Courl, 


S14 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


fa-or,  the  supreme  power  was  taken  from  him,  and  confer:  ed  oq 
the  old  enemy  of  his  House,  the  Bishop  of  Meath.  Kildare  died 
two  years  later,  having  signalized  his  latter  days  by  founding 
an  Anglo-Irish  order  of  chivalry,  called  "  the  Brothers  of  St. 
George."  This  order  was  to  consist  of  13  persons  of  the  highest 
rank,  wi'^In  the  Pale,  120  mounted  archers,  and  40  horsemen 
attended  by  40  pages.  The  oflScers  were  to  assemble  annually 
in  Dublin,  on  St.  George's  Day,  to  elect  their  Captain  from  their 
own  number.  After  having  existed  twenty  years  the  Brother- 
hood was  suppressed  by  the  jealousy  of  Henry  Vllth,  in  1494. 

Gerald,  Vlllth  Earl  of  Kildare  (called  in  the  Irish  Annals 
Geroit  More,  or  "  the  Great"),  succeeded  his  father  in  1477.  He 
uad  the  gratification  of  ousting  Sherwood  from  the  government 
the  following  year,  and  having  it  transferred  to  himself.  For 
nearly  forty  years  he  continued  the  central  figure  among  the 
Anglo-Irish,  and  as  his  family  were  closely  connected  by  mar- 
riage with  the  McCarthys,  O'Carrolls  of  Ely,  the  O'Conors  of 
Offally,  O'Neils  and  0  Donnells,  he  exercised  immense  influence 
over  the  affairs  of  all  the  Provinces.  In  his  time,  moreover,  the 
English  interest,  under  the  auspices  of  an  undisturbed  dynasty, 
and  a  cautious,  politic  Prince  (Henry  VII.),  began  by  slow  and 
almost  imperceptible  degrees  to  recover  the  unity  and  compact- 
ness it  had  lost  ever  since  the  Red  Eari's  death. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  AGE  AND  RULE  OP  GKKALD,  EIGHTH  BARL  OP  KILDARE— THB 
TIDE  BEGINS  TO  TURN  POR  THE  ENGLISH  INTEREST— THl 
YORKIST  PRETENDERS,  SIMNEL  AND  WARBECK— POTNINO'S 
PARLIAMENT— BATTLES   OP   KNOCKDOB   AND    MONABRAUER. 

Perhaps  no  preface  could  better  introduce  to  the  reader  the 
singular  events  which  marked  the  times  of  Gerald,  Vlllth  Earl 
of  Kildare,  than  a  brief  account  of  one  of  his  principal  partizans 
—Sir  James  Keating,  Prior  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John.  The 
family  of  Keating,  of  Norman-Irish  origin,  were  most  numerous 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


815 

spread  into  Tipperary  and  Limerick.     Sir  James  Keating    <«  „ 
ruere    Hsl.man/.  became  PHo.-  of  Ki.mai.ham  lu  Te^ye. 
1461,  at  winch  time  Sir  Robert  Dowdal,  deputy   to  the  Cd 

Cloniff  bvthe  P  T  "'  ''"  ^''^'  ^«  ^^«  assaulted  near 

""oi^r  or  ills  life.    It  was  accordii)aiy  decrped  that   v    .• 
»ho„,d  pa,  to  .„e  Kin,  a  hundred  pound's  t  .'d  TsfZZ' 
a  hundrea  marks;  but,  from  certain  .echn  cal  eVroTs  i„  th' 

~rK,re,t  t^  r  r.r  in/r:: .: 
wd Ore,...  „,, ,  Bujr'r/crr  Z7r  :^ 

ZTnTKildar  *<"°^^-^-^  »-^--  f<-  .0  re^h  ' 
Dnkl'of  «,  ""'  '■'■""""•'^  ''I'P™"'^'^  B'l'O'y  to  Richard 

Duke  of  Gloucester,  afler«rds  Richard  III.    i^yeariter 

Master  of  Rhodes,  who  appointed  Sir  Marmaduke  Lumlev  an 
En^h^h  kmght,  in  his  stead.  Sir  Marmaduke  landed  soon  afttr 
at  C  ontarf,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  Keating  and  W 

ments  of  hjs  elecljon  and  confirmation.    He  was  then  eiilara»H 
and  appointed  to  the  commandery  of  Kilseran  near  Ca  ..cm' 

Tel  and  a2  °  ;.  h-"      '."  '""  "'  '"^  P^''^"""  I-^Xert  Sim" 
n-l,  and  al  hough  h,s  pardon  had  been  sternly  refused  by  Henry 

VJI.,  he  retained  possession  of  the  Hospital  until  Hni  wh"!  Z 

was  ejected  by  force,  "  and  ended  „i.,  t'urbulen    i""';str.^' 

told,     In  the  most  abject  porerty  ard  disoraeo  ••    »n    ,,     \ 

I.aa  appointee  to  office  were  —'.:!>  of  PalTeJ 

.0  <mi,!r  lor  the  future,  and  enacting  that  whocw  wa« 
".oemzed  as  Prior  by  the  Grand  Master  should  be  7Z,Z 


''ft 


316 


POPULAR   HlSTORr   OF   IRELAND. 


!it;r/r'  \''''"'  '""'^  "  °"°"«^«°°  ^Jth  the  Order  ther. 

inro/p!"t '"'"'f ''  °'  '''  ''''''  °^  ''^^  ^'™««  i«.  that  a 
vZl  !^^Lr^"''  '"P"'"^"  ^^"'^'  ^^''  ^'-'^  y--.  have 
D^Iin      n  T"  ''"''"'  ""  '^^^«  ^^««"bed  in  the  city  of 

Dubhn  Dunn,  the  greater  part  of  that  period,  he  held  t.L 
office  of  Constable  of  the  Castle  and  Prior  of  K  Imainhlm  in 
defiance  of  Engh'sh  Deputies  and  English  Kin!  ;^  ZhLh  o 
fa.-  er  evidence  ™ay  be  adduced  to  show  ho; 'con.plelt  the 
Eng  sh  ,n terest  was  extinguished,  even  within  the  waHs^ 
Dubhn.  during  the  reign  of  the  last  of  the  Plantagenet  Prince^ 
RUii  the  first  years  of  Henry  Vllth.  -"^iiu^es, 

clnJ-^^^'   ^^T^'  ^"'^  '^  Richmond,  grandson  of   Queen 
Catherine  ana  Owen  ap  Tudor,  returned  from  his  fourteen  years" 

s"  'of  fhetr*  ""'  I'  ^'^  "^^^^^  ^^  ^^--^'^^  ^-k  Po  sJs. 
durin'M        ?'"•    ^''  ^'''  "'  ^"^^'•^'  »"^J'«P«ted  Deputy 

Sd     ard"    '"";'  ^'^'"'  ^^-  ''•-^'^  '^-^  continued  by 
Kichard.   and   was   not  removed   by   Henry  VII     Thn„„h 

.jaunch   Vorkiat,  he   showed  „„  L.l^oJZZZV. 

the  2.1  of  Febrnarj.,  I486,  he  received  fnlelligence  of  Hen  ,"9 

Mas,  for  the  E,„g  a,-d  Queen.  V«t,  from  the  hour  of  that 
nn,o„  of  the  house,  of  York  and  Lancaster,  i.  needed  Lext" 
ordinary  „,sdom  to  f„re,ee  that  the  e«,npti„„  „f  .he  An  I 
Insh  nobles  fron,  the  supremacy  of  their  nominal  King  „„^ 
some  o  an  end,  and  the  freedom  of  fhe  old  Irish  from  any  fo 
m,dable  external  danger  must  also  close.    The  union  o^  the 

of  E  1,  """  "'"  '"  '"  """'™'  """  "•'''»''•    The  tide 

of  Enshsh  power  wa,  at  that  hour  at  It,  lowest  ebb ;  it  had  left 

far  ,n   he  mterior  the  landmarks  of  its  flrst  irresistible  rul    » 
«.>=ht  be  sa,,l,  without  exasperation,  that  Oaelic  children  now 
Ratbered  sljells  and    pebbles    where   that    tide  once    oL 
charged  w,th  all  its  thunders ;  it  was  now  .boa.  u,  turn     tt 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  8I7 

JT.m"''?"'!^^  ™'"''"  °'  ""^  encroachments  be«an  to  b« 
heari  unde.  Henry  Vllth;  as  we  listen  they  grow  louder  on 

nnHkTlhe  /T  ''"""  "^^'  "^  steady JleLeraetl" 
nniike  the  flm  impetuous  onslaught  of  the  Normnnc   T 
advance  and  de  not  recede  till  fh«?  Normans;  they 

vm.    We  must  close  vur  account  with  the  old   era   wZ 
entering  upon  the  new.  '  '*'°™ 

The  contest  between  Me  Earl  of  Kildare  and  Lord  Gmt  fo, 
he  government  (WS-Um.  marks  the  lowest  ebb  o7the  L° 
Iish  power.    We  have  alreudy  related  how  Prior  K™         Jl 

s,\t:Kar\^."^"°"  ^-'-""''"-^^^^^^^ 

HI.  guard  if  he  atteni,,ted  to  .orce  them,    lord  Porllester  alJ 

In  hi  Parhament  at  Naas  with  the  great  seal.  Lord  Grey  in 
hs  Uublm  Assembly,  declared  lie  great  seal  cancelled  Id 
ordered  a  new  one  to  be  struck,  tut  after  „  two  ,w  lL,t 

aJdines     KUdare  was  regularly  wknowledjed  Lord  Den„(v 
under  the  King^s  privy  seal.    It  „as  ordained  that  thereaf  e^ 
here  Should  be  but  one  Parliament  convoked  during  thlTea" 

Zoi,T  ""'/""fy  »•>«■""  "e  <I.„anded,  annually,  the  r™ 
not  to  exceed  a  thousand  marks."    Certain  Acts  of  both  P^ 
ham«,^Orey.s„nd  Kildare-s-wer.  by  comp^mi  e  c!  «r!S" 
Of  these  were  two  which  do  not  ««m  to  collate  very  wd 

from  holding  any  intercourse  whatsoever  with  the  mere  Irish   T, 

rn':;rSrenh'""-r  ";'•*"■'  ''^^"-ranVtth:! 

Pa  e     The    1  "^  "  "'  *  natu,.li.ed  subject  within  the 

^^^ZsZr^'  ^""'  "^^'^^ '"» — » 

Although  Henry  vn.  had  neither  dWurhed  the  Earl  in  hi, 
m. ne  leading  Vorkist  family  among  the  ALglo-Irisb.    Thereto. 


m 


i'. 

In 


S18 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


ration  of  the  Ormond  estates,  in  favor  of  Thomas.  Vllth  Earl. 
was  both  politic  and  just,  and  could  hardly  be  objectionable  t^ 
KUdare,  who  had  ju«t  married  one  of  his  daughters  to  Pierce 
B^  tier,  nephew  and  heir  to  Thomas.    The  want  of  confidence 
between   the  new  King  and   his  Deputy  was  first  exhibited 
in   1486,  when  the  Earl  being  summoned   to  attend  on   his 
Mujesty.called  a  Parliament  at  Trim,  which  voted  him  an  addre8^ 
representing  that  in  the  affairs  about  to  be  discussed,  his  pre- 
sence was  absolutely  necessary.     Henry  affected  to  accept  the 
excuse  as  valid,  but  every  arrival  of  Court  newP  contained  some 
fresh  indication  of  his  deep-seated  mistrust  of  the  Lord  Deputy 
who  however,  he  dared  not  yet  dismiss. 

The  only  surviving  Yorkists  who  could  put  forward  pretensions 
to  the  throne  were  the  Earl  of  Lincoln,  Richard's  declared  heir, 
and  the  young  Earl  of  Warwick,  son  of  that  Duke  of  Clarence 
who  was  born  in  Dublin  Castle  in  1449.    Lincoln,  with  Lord 
Lovell  and  others  of  his  friends,  was  in  exile  at  the  court  of  the 
dowager  Duchess  of  Burgundy,  sister  to  Edward  IV.;  and  the 
son  of  Clarence-a  lad  of  fifteen  years  of  age-was  a  prisoner  in 
the  Tower.     In  the  year  1486,  a  report  spread  of  the  escape  of 
this  Prince,  and  soon  afterwards  Richard  Symon,  a  Priest  of 
Oxford,  landed  in  Dublin  with  a  youth  of  the  same  age,  of  pre- 
possessing  appearance  and  address,  who  could  relate  with  the 
minutest  detail  the  incidents  of  his  previous  imprisonment.    He 
was  at  once  recognized  as  the  son  of  Clarence  by  the  Earl  of 
K.ldaie  and  his  party,  and  pre,  arations  were  made  for  his  coro- 
nation by  the  title  of  Edward  VI.     Henry,  alarmed,  produced 
from  the  Tower  the    genuine    Warwick,   whom   he  publicly 
pai-aded  through  London,  in  order  to  prove  that  the  pretender 
in  Dublin  was  an  impostor.     The  Duchess  of  Burgundy  how- 
ever, fitted  out  a  fl.et,  containing  2,000  veteran  troops  under 
the  co.^mand  of  Martin  Swart,  who,  saih'ng  up  the  channel, 
reached  Dublin  without  interruption.    With  this  fleet  came  the 
Earl  of  Lincoln.  Lord  Lovell,  and  the  other  English  refuaees 
who  all  recognized  the  protege  of  Father  Symon  as  the'true 
Prince.    Oclavius,   the   Italian  Archbishop   of    Armagh,   then 
residing  at  Dublin,  the  Bishop  of  Clogher.  the  Butlers,  and  the 
Baron  of   Howth,   were    incredulous  or    hostile.    The  great 


POPULAR    HISTORY    ©F   IRELAND. 


819 


■■ajority  of  the  Anglo-Irish  lords, 


c, ,  spiritual  and  temporal,  favored 

his  cause,  and  he  was  accordingly  crowned  in  Christ  Church 
Cathedral,  with  a  diadem  taken  from  an  image  of  our  Lady,  on 
the  24th  of  May,  1487  .  the  Deputy,  Chancellor,  and  Treasurer 
Vi^ere  present ;  the  sermon  was  preached  by  Pain,  Bishop  of 
Meath.    A  Parliament  was  n«xt  couvoked  in  his  name,  in  which 
the  Butlers  and  ciM-ens    of   Waterford   were  pro  cribed    as 
traitors.    A  herald  from  the  latter  city,  who  had  spoken  over 
boldly,  was  hanged  by  the  Dubliners  as  a  proof  of  their  loyalty. 
The  Counci!  ordered  a  force  to  be  equipped  for  the  service  of 
his  new  Majesty   in   England,  and  Lord   Thomas  Pitzaerald 
resigned  the  Chancellorship  to  take  the  command.    This  "expe- 
dition-the  last  which  invaded  England  from  the  side  of  Ireland 
-sailed  from  Dublin  about  the  first  of  June,  and  iandin«  on  the 
Lancashire  shore,  at  the  pile  of  Foudray,  marched  tc  Ulver- 
stone,  where  they  were  joined  by  Sir  Thomas  Broughton  and 
otiier  devoted   Yorkists.    From   Ulverstone  the  whoi.   force, 
about  8,000  strong,  marched  into  Yorkshire,  and  from  York^ 
shire  southwards  into  Nottingham.    Henry,  who    had    been 
engaged  in  making  a  progress  through  the  southern  counties, 
hastened  to  meet  them,  and  both  armies  met  at  Stoke-upon 
Trent,  near  Newark,  on  the  16th  day  of  June,  1487.    The  battle 
was  contested  with  the  utmost  obstinacy,  but  the  Enolish  pre- 
vailed.   The  Earl  of  Lincoln,  the  Lords  Thomas  and"  Maurice 
Fitzgerald,  Plunket,  son  of  Lord  Killeen,  Martin  Swart,  and  Sir 
Thomas  BroughtoQ  were  slain ;  Lord  Lovell  escaped,  but  was 
never  heard  of  afterwards ;  the  pretended  Edward  Vlth  wag 
captured,  and  spared  by  Henry  only  to  bo  made  a  scullion  la 
his  kitchen.    Father  Symon  was  cast  into  prison,  where  he 
died,  after  having   confessed  that  his  protege  was  Lambert 
Bimnel,  the  son  of  a  joiner  at  Oxford. 

Nothing  shows  the  strength  of  the  Kildare  party,  and  the 
weakness  of  the  English  interest,  more  than  that  the  rleputy  and 
his  partizans  were  still  continued  in  office.  They  despatched  a 
joint  letter  to  the  King,  deprecating  his  anger,  which  he  was 
prudent  enough  to  conceal.  He  sent  over,  the  following  spring 
Sir  Richard  Edgecombe,  Comptroller  of  his  household,  accomi 
panied  by  a  guard  of  500  men.    Sir  Eichard  first  touched  at 


i 


820 


POPULAR    HIBTORT   OP   IRELAND. 


Kin.ale,  where  he  received  the  homage  of  the  Lords  Bairv  and 
de  Ccurcy  ;  he  then  sailed  to  Waterford,  where  ho  deliver'ed  to 
the  Mayor  royal  letters  conflrmin,.  the  city  in  iu  privileges,  and 
au  horizmg  .ts  n^erchants  to  seize  and  distress  those  of  Dublin 
unless  they  n.ade  their  submissio.i.    After  leaving  Waterford' 
he  landed  at  Maiahide.  passing  by  Dublin,  to  wlHch  he  prl 
ceeded  by  land,  accompanied  with  his  guard.    The  Earl  of  KH- 
dare  was  absent  on  a  pilgrimage,  from  which  he  did  not  return 
for  several  days.     His  rirst  interviews  with  Edgecombe  were 
cold  and  formal,  but  finally  on  the  21st  of  July,  after  elaht  or 
ten  days  disputation,  the  Earl  at.d  the  other  lords  of  his  party 
d.d  homage  to  King  Henry,  in  the  great  chaml-  r  of  his  town- 
house  In  Thomas  Court,  and  thence  proceeding  to  the  chapel 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  on  the  consecrated  host.    With  this 
submission  Henry  was  fain  to  be  co^atent;  Kildare,  Portlester 
and  PIunKett  were  continued  in  office.    The  only  one  to  whom 
the  Kmg  s  pardon  was  persistently  refused  was  Sir  James  Keat- 
ing. Prior  of  Kilmainham. 

In  the  subsequent  attempts  of  Perkin  Warbeck  (1492-1499^ 
In  the  character  of  Richard,  DukH  of  York,  one  of  the  Princei 
murdered  m  the  Tower  by  Richard  III.,  the  Anglo-Irish  took  a 
less  active  part.    Warbeck  landed  at  Cork  from  Lisbon,  and 
despatc  ed  letters  to   the   Earls  of  Kildare  and  Desmond,  to 
which    they  returned   civil  but  evasive  replies.    At  Cork  he 
received  an  invitation  from  the  King  of  France  to  visit  that 
country,  where  he  remained  (Hi  .he  conclusion  of  peace  between 
France  and  England.     He  then  retired  to  Burgundy,  where  he 
was  cordially  received  by  the  Duchess;  after  an  uisuccessfu! 
descent  on  the  c.^st  of  Kent  he  took  refuge  In  Scotland,  where 
he  married   a  lady  closely  allied  to  the  crown.     In    1497  he 
again  tried  his  fortune  in  the  South  of  Ireland,  was  joined  by 

«ens  of  Cork.     Having  laid  siege  to  Waterford  he  was  com- 
pelled to  retire  with  loss,  and  Desmond  having  made  his  peal 

1497  and   8.  he  made  new  attempts  to  excite  insurrection  In 
finally  taken  and  put  to  death  on  the  16th  of  November,  1499 


POPULAR    inSTORT    OF    tivflLAND.  821 

With  hfm  suffered  his  first  and  most  faithful  adherent,  John 
Waters  who  had  heen  Mayor  of  Cork  at  his  first  landing  from 
L.Hhon  in  1^92,  and  who  Is  Ignorantly  or  designedly  caltd  by 
Henry's  partizan  "  O'Water."  History  „as  not  yet  positively 
estabhshed  the  fraudulency  of  this  pretender.  A  late  eminently 
cautious  wnter,  with  all  the  evidence  which  modern  research 
has  accumulated,  speaks  of  him  as  "  one  of  the  most  myterious 
persons  in  English  history-  and  in  mystery  we  must  leave 

We  have  somewhat  anticipated  events,  in  other  quarters  in 

time'  T^lTV'  'r'  ""  """"'^^  P^^^^"^^^«  -'  '^^  «ame 
time.    The  situa  ,on  of  the  Earls  of  Kildare  in  this  a.d  the  next 

h!fp  ?.'  11  "'  ''"'"^'"'•'  ^^^  ^'^^  ^""  ^'  P"''-  Within 
WtW  the  P^  ;;T,V'  play,  without  the  Pale  another, 
r  dIh  .H  ^''''  '"'  language,  without  it  another. 

At  Dubl  n  they  were  English  Earls,  beyond  the  Boyne  or  the 
Barrow,  they  were  Irish  chiefs.  They  had  to  tread  their  cau. 
tlous  and  not  always  consistent  way,  through  the  endles.  com- 
phcations  wh,ch  must  arise  between  two  nation,  occupying  the 

and  ,nteres  «.  Wlnle  we  frequently  feel  indignant  at  the  tone 
they  take  towards  the  "Irish  enemy"  in  their  despatches  to 
London-the  pretended  enemies  being  at  that  very  time  their 
confidants  and  allies-on  farther  reflection  we  feel  disposed 
^0  make  some  allowance  on  the  score  of  circumstance  and  neces- 
8  y.  for  a  duphcity  which,  in  the  end,  brought  about,  as  dupli- 
city m  public  affairs  ever  does,  its  own  punishu^ent 

In  Ulster  as  well  as  in  Leinster.  the  ascendency  of  the  Earl 
of  Kddare  aver  the  native  population  was  widespread  and  lona 
sustained  Con  O'Neil.  Lord  of  Tyrone,  from  1483  to  1491.  an'd 
Turtogh,  Con  and  Art.  his  sons  and  successors  (from  1498  to 
1548).  maintained  the  most  intimate  relations  with  this  Earl  and 
his  successors.  To  the  fomio-  he  was  brother-in-law.  and  to 
the  latter,  of  course,  uncle ;  to  all  he   seems   to  have   been 

m^ll^T'L  """''  ^'^  '''^"""^"'  ^"^^  «f  Tyrconnell 

ifiokJ^oo  '  '°°  ^"*^  '"'''''^'*'  Hugh  Dhu  O'Donnell, 

(1506-1630),  were  also  closely  connected  with  Kildare  both  by 

friendship  and  intermarriage.    In  1491,  O'Neil  and  ODonneU 


•I 


82a 


POPULAR    HlSTORy    OF   IRELAND. 


mutually  submittfid  ihelr  disputes  to  his  doclslon,  at  his  Oantto 
of  Maynooih,  and  though  he  found  it  impossible  to  reconcile 
them  at  the  moment,  we  find  both  of  those  houses  cordially 
united  with  him  afterwanis.     In  1498,  he  took  Dungannon  and 
Omafl[h,  "  with  great   guns,"  from  the  insurgents  against  the 
authority  of  his  grandson,  Turlogh  0  Neil,  and  restored  them  to 
Turlogh  i  the  next  year  he  visited  O'Donnell,  and  brought  his 
son  Henry  to  bo  fostered  among  tlie  kindly  Irish  of  Tyrconnell, 
In  the  year  1500  he  also  placed  the  Castle  of  Kinnaird  in  the 
custody  of  Turlogli  O'Npil,     In  Leinster,  tlie  Qeraldine  interest 
was  still  more  entirely  bound  up  with  that  of  the  native  popu- 
lation.   His  son,  Sir  Oliver  of  Killeigh,  married  an  0  Conor  of 
OfFally ;   the  daughter  of  anotlier  son,  Sir  James  of   Leixlip, 
(sometimes  called  the  Knight  of  the  Valley),  became  the  wife 
of   the  chief  of  Imayle.      The  Earl  of  Ormonde,  and  Ulick 
Burke  of  Clanrickarde,  were  also  sona-in-law  of  the  Vlllth  Earl, 
but  in  both  these  cases  the  old  family  feuds  survived  in  despite 
of  the  new  family  alliances. 

In  the  fourth  year  after  his  accession,  Henry  VII.,  proceeding 
by  slow  degrees  to  undermine  Kildare's  enormous  power,  sum- 
moned the  chief  Anglo-Irish  nobles  to  his  Court  at  Greenwich, 
where  he  reproached  them  with  their  support  of  Simnel,  who, 
to  their  extreme  confusion,  he  caused  to  wait  on  them  as  bulKr, 
at  dinner.    A  year  or  two  afterwards,  he  removed  Lord  Port- 
iester  from  the  Treasurship,  which  he  conferred  on  Sir  James 
Butler,  the  bastard  of  Ormond.    Plunkett  the  Chief  Justice 
was  promoted  to  the  Chancellorship,  and  Kildare  himself  was 
removed  to  make  way  for  Fitzsymons,  Archbishop  of  Dublin. 
This,  however,  was  but  a  government  ad  interim,  for  in  the  year 
1494,  a  wholly  Etiglish  administration  was  appointed.    Sir  Ed- 
ward Poynings,  with  a  picked  fbrce  of  1,000  men,  was  appointed 
Lord  Deputy ;  the  Bishop  of  Bangor  was  appointed  Chancellor, 
Sir  Hugh  Consvay,  an  Englishman,   was  to  be  Treasurer;  and 
these  officials  were  accompanied  by  an  entirely  new  bench  of 
judges,  all  English,  whom  they  were  instructed  to  instal  imme- 
diately on  their  arrival.     Kildare  had  resisted  the  first  changes 
with  vigor,  and  a  bloody  feud  bad  taken  place  between  his  re- 
tainers and  those  of  Sir  James  of  Ormond,  on  the  grooa  of 


POPULAR    IIISTORT    OF    IRKLAHD. 


898 


Oimantown-^ow  SmithflHd,  In  Dublin.  On  the  arrival  of 
PoyiiiiiR^,  Ijowever,  he  submitted  with  tho  best  possible  grace, 
and  accoinpariieii  that  deputy  to  Drogheila,  where  he  had  sum- 
moried  a  rarliameiit  to  meet  him.  From  Drojiheda,  they  made 
an  incursion  into  0  Ilanlon's  country  (Oiior  in  Arraayh).  On 
returiiin«  from  Droyhodu,  Poynlngs,  on  a  real  or  pretended  dis- 
covery of  a  flpcret  understanding  between  O'llaidon  and  Kildare, 
arrested  the  latter,  in  Dublin,  and  at  once  placed  him  on  board 
a  barque  "  ke()t  waitiny  for  that  puri)ose,"  and  despatched  hin» 
to  England.  On  reaching  London,  he  was  imprisoned  in  the 
Ti.wer,  for  two  years,  during  which  time  his  party  in  Ireland 
were  left,  headh-ss  and  dispirited. 

The  government  of  Sir  Edward  Poynings,  which  lasted  from 
1494  till  Klldare's  restoration,  in  August,  1496,  is  most  memo- 
rable for  the  character  of  iH  legislation.     He  assembled  a  Par- 
liament at  Drogheda,  in  November,  1495,  at  which  were  passed 
the  statutes  so  celebrated  in  our  Parliamentjjry  history  as  the 
"10th  Henry  VII."    These  statutes  were  the  first  enacted  In 
Ireland  in  which  the  English  language  was  employed.     They 
confirmed  the  Provisions  of  the  Statute  of  Kilkenny,  except  that 
prohibiting  the  use  of  the  Irish  language,  which  had  now  become 
BO  deeply  rooted  even  within  the  Pale  as  to  make  its  immediate 
abolition  impracticable.    The  hospitable  law  passed  in  the  time 
of  Richard,  Duke  of  York,  against  the  arrest  of  refugees  by 
virtue  of  writs  issued  in  England,  was  repealed.    The  English 
acts,  against  provisors  to  Rome— ecclesiastics  who  applied  for 
or  accepted  preferment  directly  from  Rome— were  adopted.    It 
was  also  enacted  that^ll  offices  should  be  held  at  the  King's 
pleasure;  that  tho  Lords  of  Parliament  should  appear  in  their 
robes  as  the  Lords  did  in  England ;  that  no  one  should  presume 
to  make  peace  or  war  except  with  license  of  the  Governor ;  that 
no  great  guns  should  be  kept  in  the  fortresses  except  by  similar 
license  ;  and  that  men  of  English  birth  only  should  be  appointed 
constables  <  f  the  Castles  of  Dublin,   Trim,   Leixlip,   Athlone, 
Wicklow,  Grecncastle,  Carlingford,  and  Carrickfergus.    But  tho 
most  important  measure  of  all  was  one  which  provided  that 
thereafter  no  legislation  whatever  should  be  proceeded  with  in 
Ireland,  unless  the  bills  to  be  proposed  were  first  submitted  tt 


824 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


the  Klri^?  and  Council  ia  England,  and  were  returned,  certified 
under  the  great  seal  of  the  realm.  This  is  what  is  usually  and 
specially  called  in  our  Parliamentary  history  "Poy nine's  Act" 
and  next  to  the  Siatute  of  Kilkenny,  it  may  be  considered  the 
most  important  enactment  ever  passed,  at  any  Parliament,  of 
the  English  settlers. 

The  liberation  of  the  Earl  of  Kildare  from  the  Tower,  and  his 
restoration  as   Deputy,  seems  to  have  been  hastened  by  the 
Movements  of  Perkin  Warbeck,  and  by  the  visit  of  Hugh  Roe 
ODonnell  to  James   IV.,  King  of  Scotland.     O'Donnell  had 
arrived  at  Ayr  in  the  month  of  August,  1495,  a  few  weeks  after 
>Varbeck  had  reached  that  court.    He  was  received  with  great 
splendor  and  cordiality  by  the  accomplished  Prince,  then  lately 
come  of  age,  and  filled  with  projects  natural  to  his  youth  and 
temperament.     With  O'Donnell,  aecording  to  the  Four  Masters. 
he  loimed  a  league,  by  which  they  bound  themselves  "  mutaallv 
to  assist  each  oth^  in  all  their  exigencies."    The  knowled^^e  of 
this  alliance,  and  of  Warbeck's  favor  at  the  Scottish  Cour"t  no 
doubt  decided  Henry  to  avail  himself,  if  possible,  of  the  assist- 
ance of  his  most  powerful  Irish  subject.    There  was,  moreover 
another  influence  at  work.    The  first  countess  had  died  soon 
after  her  husband's  arrest,  and  he  now  married,  in  England, 
Elizabeth  St.  John,  cousin  to  the  King.    Fortified  in  his  alle- 
giance and  court  favor  by  this  alliance,  he  returned  in  triumph 
to  Dublin,  where  he  was  welcomed  with  enthusiasm. 

In  his  subsequent  conduct  as  Lord  Deputy,  an  office  which  he 
continued  to  hold  till  his  death  in  1613.  this  powerful  noblemaa 
seems  to  have  steadily  upheld  the  English  interest,  which  was 
now  m  harmony  with  his  own.     Having  driven  off  Warbeck  in 
his  last  visit  to  Ireland  (1497),  he  received  extensive  estates  in 
England,  as  a  reward  for  his  zeal,  and  after  the  victory  of  Knock- 
doe  (1505),  he  was  installed  by  proxy  at  Windsor  as  Kniobt 
of  the  Garter.    This  long-continued  reign-for  such  in  truth"  it 
may  be  caUed-le.t  him  without  a  rival  in  his  latter  years     He 
marched  to  whatever  end  of  the  island  he  would,  puUin-  down 
and  setting  up  chiefs  and  castles ;   his  garrisons  were  to  be 
found  from  Belfast  to  Cork,  and  along  the  valley  of  the  Shan- 
Don,  from  AthJeague  to  Limerick. 


r 


MPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


325 


The  last  event  of  national  importance  connected  with  the 
name  of  Geroit  More  arose  out  of  the  battle  of  Knock-dob 
("battle-axe  hill"),  fought  within  seven  or  eight  miles  of  Gal-' 
way  town,  on  tne  19th  of  August,  1504.    Pew  of  the  cardinal 
facts  m  our  history  have  been  more  entirely  misappreliended 
and  misrepresented  than   this.    It  is  usually  described  as  a 
pitched  battle  between  English  and  Irish-the  turning  point  in 
the  war  of  races-and  tlie  second  foundation  of  English  power, 
ihe  simple  circumstances  are  these:  Ulick  III.,  Lord  of  Clan- 
nckarde,  had  married  and  misused  the  lady  Eustacia  Pitz-erald. 
who  seems  to  have  fled  to  her  father,  leaving  her  children  be- 
hind.    This  led  to  an  embittered  family  dispute,  which   was 
expanded  itto  a  public  quarrel  by  the  complaint  of  William 
0  Kelly,  whose  Castles  of   Garball.y,  Monivea,  and  Galla^h 
Burke  had   seized  and  demolished.    In  reinstating  0  KeFly 
Kildare  found  the   opportunity  which   he  sought   to  punish 
his    son-in-law,   and    both    parties    prepared    for   a    trial    of 
strength.    It  so  happened  that  Clanrickarde's  alliances  at  that 
day  were  chiefly  with  O'Brien  and   the  southern  Irish,  while 
Kildare's  were   with  those  of   Ulster.      From   these  causes, 
what  was  at  first  a  family  quarrel,  and  at  most  a  local   feud 
swelled  into  the  dimensions  of  a  national  contest  between  North 
and  South-Leath-Moghda  and  Lealh-Conn.    Under  these  terms, 
the  native  Annalists  accurately  describe  the  belligerents    on 
either  side.     With  Kildare  were  the  Lords  of  Tvrconnell,  QVvo 
Moylurg,  Breffni,  Oriel  and  Orior;  O'Farrell,  Bi'shop  of  Arda^h 
the  Tanist  of  Tyrowen,  the  heir  of  Iveagh,  O'Kelly  of  Hy-Many' 
McWilliara  of  Mayo,  the  Barons  of  Slane,  Delvin,  Howth,  Dun- 
sany,  Gormanstown,  Trimblestown,  and  John  Blake,  Mayor  of 
Dublin,  with  the  city  militia.    With  Clanrickarde  were  lurlooh 
O'Brien,  son  of  the  Lord  of  Thomond,  McNamara  of  Clar'e 
O'CarroH  of  Ely,  O'Brien  of  Ara,  and  O'Kennedy  of  Ormond! 
Thfe  battle  was  obstinate  and  bloody.    Artillery  and  musketry, 
first  introduced  from  Germany  some  twenty  years  before  (1487)' 
were  freely  used,  and  the  ploughshare  of  the  peasant  has  often 
Jurned  up  bullets,  large  and  small,  upon  the  hillside  where  the 
battle  was  fought.    The  most  credible  account  sets  down  the 
number  of  the  slain  at  2,000  men -the  most  exaggerated  at' 
2d 


826 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


9,000.    The  victory  waa  with  Kildare,  who  after  encamping  on 
the  field  for  twenty-four  hours,  by  the  advice  of  O'Donnelli 
marched  next  day  to  Galway  where  he  found  the  children  oi 
Clanrickarde,  whom  he  restored  to  their  injured  mother.    Athenry 
opened  its  gates  to  receive  the  conquerors,  and  after  celebrating 
their  victory  in  the  stronghold  of  the  vanquished,  the  Ulster 
Chiefs  returned  to  the  North  and  Kildare  to  Dublin. 
^  Less  known  is  the  battle  of  Monabraher,  which  may  be  con- 
sidered the  offset  of  Knockdoe.    It  was  fought  in  1510— the 
first  ye^r  of  Henry  VIII.,  who  had  just  confirmed  Lord  Kil- 
dare in  the  government.    The  younger  O'Donnell  joined  him  in 
Munster,  and  after  taking  the  Castles  of  Kanturk,  Pallas,  and 
Castlemaine,  they  marched  to  Limerick  where  the  Earl  of  Des- 
mond, the  McCarthys  of  both  branches,  and  "  the  Irish  of  Meath 
and  Leinster,"  in  alliance  with  Kildare,  joined  them  with  their 
forces.    The  old  allies,  Turlogh  O'Brien,  Clmrickarde,  and  the 
McNamaras  attacked  them  at  the  bridge  of    Portrush,   near 
Castleconnell,  and  drove  them  through  Monabraher  ("  the'friar's 
bog"),  with  the  loss  of  the  Barons  Barn  wall  and  Kent,  and  many 
of  their  forces ;  the  survivors  were  feign  to  take  refuge  withiu 
the  walls  of  Limerick. 

Three  years  later.  Earl  Gerald  set  out  to  besiege  Leap  Castle, 
in  O'Moore's  country ;  but  it  happened  that  as  he  was  watering 
his  horse  in  the  little  river  Greese,  at  Kilkea,  he  was  shot  by 
one  of  the  OMoores;   he  was  immediately  carried  to  Athy, 
wnere  shortly  afterwards  he  expired.     If  we  except  the  first 
Hugh  de  Lacy  and  the  Red  Earl  of  Ulster,  the  Normans  in 
Ireland  had  not  produced  a  more  illustrious  man  than  Gerald, 
Vlllih  Earl  of  Kildare.    He  was,  says  Stainhurst,  "  of  tall  sta' 
iure  and  goodly  presence;  very  liberal  and  merciful;  of  strict 
piety;  mild  in  his  government;  passionate,  but  easily  appeased 
And  our  justice-loving  Four  Masters  have  described  Mm  as  '•« 
knight  in  valor,  and  princely  and  religious  in  his  words  and 
judgments." 


Hi 


V 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


821 


CHAPTER  IX. 

•TATE   OF   IRISH   AND   ANGLO  IRISH    SOCIETY   DURING   THE   PO0B- 
TEENTH   AND    FIFTEENTH    CENTCKIE8. 

The  main  peculiarities  of  social  life  among  the  Irish  and  An- 
glo-Irish  during  the  XlVth  and  XVth  centuries  are  still  visible 
to  us.  Of  the  drudges  of  the  earth,  as  in  all  other  histories,  we 
see  or  hear  little  or  nothing,  but  of  those  orders  of  men  of  whom 
the  historic  muse  takes  count,  su^jh  as  bards,  rulers,  builders, 
and  religious,  there  is  much  information  to  be  found  scattered 
up  and  down  our  annals,  which,  if  properly  put  together  and 
clearly  interpreted,  may  afford  us  a  tolerably  c  lear  view  of  the 
men  and  their  times. 

The  love  of  learning,  always  strong  in  this  race  of  men  and 
women,  revived  in  full  force  with  their  exemption  from  the  im- 
mediate pressure  of  foreign  invasion.  The  person  of  Bard  and 
Brehon  was  still  held  inviolable ;  to  the  malediction  Oi  the  Bard 
of  Usnagh  was  attributed  the  sudden  death  of  the  Deputy,  Sir 
John  Sianley ;  to  their  murder  of  the  Brehon  McEgan  is  traced 
all  the  misfortunes  which  befel  the  sons  of  Irial  0  Farrell.  To 
receive  the  poet  graciously,  to  seat  him  in  the  place  of  honor  at 
Lhe  feast,  to  listen  to  him  with  reverence,  and  to  reward  him 
munificently,  were  considered  duties  incumbent  on  the  princes 
of  the  land.  And  these  duties,  to  do  them  justice,  they  never 
neglected.  One  of  the  0  Nells  is  specially  praised  for  having 
given  more  gifts  to  poets,  and  having  "  a  larger  collection  ol 
poems"  than  any  other  man  of  his  age.  In  the  struggle  be- 
tween O'Donnell  and  O'Conor  for  the  northern  corner  of  Siigo, 
we  find  mention  made  of  books  accidentally  burned  in  "  the 
house  of  the  manuscripts,"  in  Lough  Gill.  Among  the  spoils 
carried  off  by  O'Donnell,  on  another  occasion,  were  two  famous 
books— one  of  which,  the  Leahar  Gear  (Short  Book),  he  after- 
wards i)-^i(l  back,  as  part  of  the  ransom  for  the  release  of  hii 
friend,      Doheity.    "  ? 


328 


POPULAR    HISTORY   01*   IRELAND. 


The  Bards  and  Ollams,    though  more  dependant,  on  their 
Princes  than  we  have  seen  them  in  their  early  palmy  days,  had 
jet  ample  hereditary  estates  in  every  principality  and  lordship. 
If  natural  posterity  failed,  the  incumbent  was  free  to  adopt  some 
capable  person  as  his  heir.    It  was  in  this  way  the  family  of 
9'Clery,  originally  of  Tyrawley,  came  to  settle  in  Tyrconuell, 
towards  tho  end  of  the  XlVth  century.    At  that  time  OS^^inain 
chief  Ollam  to  O'Donnell,  offered  his  daughter  in  marriage"  to 
Cormac  O'Clery,  a  young  professor  of  both  laws,  in  the  monas- 
tery near  Ballyshannon,  on  condition  that  the  first  male  child 
born  of  the  marriage  should  be  brought  up  to  his  own  profes- 
sion.    This  was  readily  agreed  to,  and  from  this  auspicious 
marriage  descended  the  famous  family,  which  produced  three 
of  the  Four  Masters  of  Donegal. 

The  virtue  of  hospitality  was,  of  all  others,  that  which  the  old 
Irish  of  every  degree  in  rank  and  wealth  most  cheerfully  prac- 
tised.   In  many  cases  it  degenerated  into  extravagance  and 
prodigality.    But  in  general  it  is  presented  to  us  in  so  winning 
a  garb  that  our  objections  on  the  score  of  prudence  vanish  be- 
fore it.    When  we  read  of  the  freeness  of  heart  of  Henry  Avery 
0  Neil,  who  granted  all  manner  of  things  «  that  came  into  hra 
hands,"  to  all  manner  of  men,  we  pause  and  doubt  whether  such 
a  virtue  in  such  excess  may  not  lean  towards  vice.    But  when 
we  hear  of  a  powerful  lord,  like  William  OKelly  of  Qalway, 
entertaining  throughout  the  Christmas  holydays  all  the  poets 
musicians,  and  poor  persons  who  choose  to  flock  to  hira,  or  of 
the  pious  and  splendid  Margaret  O'CarroIl,  receiviu-r  twice  a 
year  in  Offally  all  the  Bards  of  Albyn  and  Erin,  we  cannot  l)ut 
envy  the  professors  of  the  gentle  art  their  good  fortune  in  having 
lived  in  such  times,  and  shared  in  such  assemblies.    As  hospi- 
tality was  the  first  of  social  virtues,  so  inhospitality  was  the 
worst  of  vices;  the  unpopularity  of  a  churl  descended  to  his 
posterity  through  successive  generations. 

The  high  estimation  in  which  women  were  held  among  the 
tribes  is  evident  from  the  particulaiity  with  which  the  historians 
record  their  obits  and  marriages.  The  maiden  name  of  the  wife 
was  never  wholly  lost  in  that  of  her  husband,  and  if  her  family 
were  of  equal  standing  with  his  before  marriage,  she  generally 


7 


• 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


S29 


retained  her  full  share  of  authority  afterwards.    The  Mar.raret 
O'Carroll  already  mentioned,  a  descendant  and  progenitress  of 
illustrious  women,  rode  privately  to  Trim,  as  we  are  told,  with 
some  English   prisoners,  taken   by  her  husband,  O'Conor  of 
Offally,  and  exchanged  them  for  others  of  equal  worth  lying  in 
that  fortress;  and  "  this  she  did,"  it  is  added,  "  without  the  know- 
ledge of "  her  husband.    This  lady  was  famed  not  only  for  her 
exceeding  hospitality  and  her  extreme  piety,  but  for  other  more 
unexpected  works.     Her  name  is  remembered   in  connection 
with  the  erection  of  bridges  and  the  making  of  highways,  aa 
well  as  the  building  of  churches,  and  the  presentation  of  missals 
and  mass-books.     And    the    grace  she    thus    acquired   long 
brought  blessings  upon  her  posterity,  among  whom  there  never 
were  wanting  able  men  and  heroic  women  while  they  kept  their 
place  in  the  land.    An  equally  celebrated  but  less  amiable 
woman  was  Margaret  Fitzgerald,  daughter  of  the  Vlllth  Earl 
of  Kildare,  and  wife  of  Pierce,  Vlllth  Earl  of  Ormonde.    '=  She 
was,"  says  the  Dublin  Annalist,  "  a  lady  of  such  port  thar,  ail 
the   estates  of  the  realm  couched  to  her,  so    politique  that 
nothing  was  thought  substantially  debated  without  her  advice." 
Her  decision  of  character  is  preserved  in  numerous  traditions 
in  and  around  Kilkenny,  where  she  lies  buried.    Of  her  is  told 
the  story  that  when  exhorted  on  her  death-bed  to  make  resti- 
tutionof  some  ill-got  lands,  and  being  told  the  penalty  thatawaited 
her  if  she  died  impenitent,  she  answered,  "it  was  better  one  old 
woman  should  burn  for  eternity  than  that  the  Butlers  should  be 
curtailed  of  their  estates." 

The  fame  of  virtuous  deeds,  of  generosity,  of  peace-making, 
of  fidelity,  was  in  that  state  of  society  as  easily  attainable  by 
women  as  by  men.  The  Unas,  Finolas,  Sabias,  Lasarinas,  were 
as  certain  of  immortality  as  the  Hughs,  Cathals,  Donalds  and 
Conors,  their  sons,  brothers,  or  lovers.  Perhaps  it  .would  be 
impossible  to  find  any  history  of  those  or  of  later  ages  in  which 
women  are  treated  upon  a  more  perfect  equality  with  ra^n 
where  their  virtues  and  talents  entitled  them  to  such  consideration! 
The  piety  of  the  age,  though  it  had  lost  somellnng  of  the 
Bimplicitv  and  fervor  of  elder  times,  was  still  oonspicuous  and 
edifying.    Within  the  island,  the  pilgrimage  of  riaint  Patrick's 


ffl 


830 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


I 


purgalorj,  the  shrine  of  our  Lady  of  Trim,  the  virtnes  of  the 
holy  cross  of  Raphoe,  the  miracles  wrought  by  the  Baculum 
Christi,  and  other  relics  of  Christ  Church,  Dublin,  were  itn- 
pliciily  believed  and  piously  frequented.    The  lonji  and  danger- 
ous journeys  to  Ronae  and  Jerusalem  were  frequently  taken, 
but  the  favorite  foreign  vow  was  to  Compostella,  in   Spain. 
Chiefs,  Ladies,  and  Bards,  are  almost  annually  mentioned  as 
having  sailed  or  returned  from  the  city  of  St.  James  ;  generally 
these  pilgrims  left  in  companies,  and  returned  in  the  same  way. 
The  great  Jubilee  of  1460,  so  euthusiaNtically  attended  from 
every  corner  of  Christendom,  drew  vast  multitudes  from  our 
island  to  Rome.    By  those   who  returned  tidings   were  first 
brought  to  Ireland  of  the  capture  of  Constantinople  by  the 
Turks.    On  receipt  of  this  intelligence,   which  sent  a  thrill 
through  the  heart  of  Europe,  Tregury,  Archbishop  of  Dublin, 
proclaimed  a  fast  of  three  days,  and  on  each  day  walked  in 
fcackcloth,  with  his  clergy,  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  to 
the  Cathedral.    By  many  in  that  age  the  event  was  connected 
with  the  mystic  utterances  of  the  Apocalypse,  and  the  often- 
apprehended  consummation  of  all  Time. 

Although  the  Irish  were  then,  as  they  still  are,  firm  believers 
in  supernatural  influence  working  visibly  among  men,  they  do 
not  appear  to  have  ever  been  slaves  to  the  terrible  delusion  of 
witchcraft.    Among  the  Anglo-Irish  we  find  the  first  instance 
of  that  mania  which  appears  in  our  history,  and  we  believe  the 
only  one,  if  we  except  the  Presbyterian  witches  of  Carrickfer- 
gus,  in  the  early  part  of  the  XVIIIth  century.     The  scene  of 
the  ancient  delusion  was  Kilkenny,  where  Bishop  Ledred  ac- 
cused the  Lady  Alice  Kettel,  and  William  her  son,  of  practising 
black  magic,  in  the  year  1S27.     Sir  Roger  Outlaw,  Prior  of 
Kilmainham,  and  stepson  to  Lady  Alice,  undertook  to  protect 
her ;  but  the  fearful  charge  was  extended  to  him  also,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  enter  on  his  defence.     The  tribunal  ap- 
pointed to  try  the  charge— one  of  the  main  grounds  on  which 
the  Templars  had  been  suppressed  twenty-five  years  before— 
was  composed  of  the  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's,  the  Prior  of  Christ 
Church,  the  Abbots  of  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Thomas's,  Dublin 
Mr.  Elias  Lawless,  and  Mr.  Peter  Willeby,  lawyers.     Outlaw 


I 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


381 


was  acquitted,  and  Ledred  forced  to  fly  for  safety  to  Eixrland, 
of  which  he  was  a  native.  It  is  pleasant  to  remember  that,  al- 
thougli  Irish  creduhty  sometimes  took  shapes  absurd  and  gro- 
tesque enough,  it  never  was  perverted  into  diabolical  chaimels. 
or  directed  to  the  barbarities  of  witch-finding. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  XVth  century  we  meet  with  the  first 
mention  of  the  use  of  Usquebagh,  or  Aqua  VUcb,  in  our  Annals 
Under  the  date  of  1405  we  read  that  McRannal,  or  Reynolds, 
chief  of  Muntireolais,  died  of  a  surfeit  of  it,  about  Christmas. 
A  quaint  Elizabethan  writer  thus  descants  on  the  properties  of 
that  hquor,  as  he  found  them,  by  personal  experience:  "For 
the  rawness"  (of  the  air)  they  (the  Irish)  have  an  excellent 
remedy  by  their  Aqua  Ftte,  vulgarly  called  Usquelagh,  which 
binds  up  the  belly  and  drieth  up  moisture  more  than  our 
Aqua  Vita,  yet  inflameth  not  so  much." 

And  as  the  opening  of  the  century  may  he  considered  nota- 
ble for  the  first  me«tion  of  Usquelagh,  so  its  close  is  memorable 
for  the  first  employment  of  firearms.    In  the  year  1489,  accord- 
ing to  Anglo-Irish  Annals,  "  six  hand  guns  or  musquets  were 
Bent  to  the  Earl  of  Kildare  out  of  Germany,"  which  his  guard 
bore  while  on  sentry  at  Thomas  Court-his  Dublin  residence 
But  two  years  earlier  (1487)  we  have  positive  mention  of  the 
employment  of  guns  at  the  siege  of  Castlecar,  in  Leitrim  by 
Hugh  Roe  O'Donnell.     Great  guns  were  ireely  used  ten  years 
later  m  the  taking  of  Dungannon  and  Omagh.  and  contributed 
not  a  httle  to  the  victory  of  Knockdoe— in  1505.    About  the 
same  time  we  begin  to  hear  of  their  employment  by  sea  iu 
rather  a  curious  connection.    A  certain  French  Knight,  return- 
ing  from  the  pilgrimage  of  Lough  Derg,  visiting  O'Donnell  at 
Donegal  heard  of  the  anxiety  of  his  entertainer  to  take  a  cer- 
tam  Castle  which  stood  by  the  sea,  in  Sligo.    This  Knirrht  pro- 
mised to  send  him,  on  his  return  to  France,  "  a  vessel  carrying 
great  guns,"  which  he  accordip.gly  did,  and  the  Castle  was  in 
consequence  taken.    Nevertheless  the  old  Irish,  according  to 
their  habit,  took  but  slowly  to  this  wonderful  invention,  though 
destined  to  revolutionize  the  art  to  which  they  were  naturally 
predisposed— the  art  of  war. 
The  dwellings  of  the  chiefs,  and  of  the  wealthy  among  tb« 


882 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IBBLAND. 


proprietors,  near  the  marches,  were  chiefly  situated  amid  pal- 
lisaded  islands,  or  on  promontories  naturally  mouied  by  lakes. 
The  houses,  in  those  circumstances,  were  mostly  of  frame- 
work, though  the  Milesian  nobles,  in  less  exposed  districts,  had 
castles  of  stone,  after  the  Norman  fashion.    The  Castle  "  bawn" 
was  usually  enclosed  by  one  or  more  strong  walls,  the  Jnner 
sides  of  which  were  lined  with  barns,  stables,  and  the  houses  of 
the  retainers.    Not  unfrequently  the  thatched  roofs  of  theso 
out-buildings  taking  fire,  compelled  the  castle  to  surrendt^r, 
The  Castle  "  green,"  whether  within  or  without  the  walls,  wa« 
the  usual  scene  of  rural  sports  and  athletic  games,  of  which,  at 
all  periods,  our  ancestors  were  so  fond.    Of  the  interior  economy 
of  the  Milesian  rath,  or  dun,  we  know  less  than  of  the  Norman 
tower,  where,  before  the  huge  kitchen  chimney,  the  heavy-laden 
Bpit  was  turned  by  hand,  while  the  dining-hall  was  adorned 
with  the  glitter  of  the  dresser,  or  by  tapestry  hangings  ;-the 
floors  of  hall  ahd  chambers  being  strewn  with  rushes  and  odor- 
ous herbs.    We  have  spoken  of  the  zeal  of  the  Milesian  Chiefs  in 
accumulating  MSS.  and  in  rewarding  Bards  and  Scribes.  We  are 
enabled  to  form  some  idea  of  the  mental  resources  of  an  Anglo- 
Insh  nobleman  of  the  XVth  century,  from  the  catalogue  of  the 
hbrary  remaining  in  Maynooth  Castle,  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
Vlllth.    Of  Latin  books,  there  were  the  works  of  several  of 
the  schoolmen,  the  dialogues  of  St.  Gregory,  Virgil,  Juvenal, 
and  Terence;  the  Holy  Bible;  Boethius'  Consolations  of  Phi- 
losophy,  and  Saint  Thomas's  Summa;  of  French  works,  Frois- 
sart.  Mandeville,  two  French  Bibles,  a  French  Livy  and  C^Bsar, 
with  the  most  popular  romances;  in  English,  there  were  the 
Polychronicon,  Cambrensis,  Lyttleton's  Tenures,  Sir  Thomas 
More  s  book  on  Pilgrimages,  and  several  romances.     Moreover 
there  were  copies  of  the  Psalter  of  Cashel.  a  book  of  Irish 
chronicles,  lives  of  St.  Beraghan,  St.  Fiech  and  St.  Finian 
With  various  religious  tracts,  and  romantic  tales.    This  wa*' 
perhaps,  the  most  extensive  private  collection  to  be  found 
within  the  pale ;  we  have  every  reason  to  infer,  that,  at  least  in 
Irish  and  Latin  works,  the  Castles  of  the    older  race-lovers 
of  learning  and  entertainers  of  learned  men-were  not  worse 
furnished  than  Maynooth. 


FOFULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


838 


■ 


CHAPTER  X. 

MATE  OF   BKLIGtON   i  ND    LEARNING   D0RINO   THE   POURTEE.STH 
AND    FiFTEENTU    CENTURIK8. 

Althottoh  the  English  and  Irish  professed  the  same  rehVion 
during  these  ages,  yet  in  the  appointment  of  Bishops^the 
administration  of  ecclesiastical  property,  and  in  all  their  views 
of  the  relation  of  the  Church  to  the  State,  the  two  nations  dif- 
fered  almost  as  widely  as  in  their  laws,  language,  and  customs, 
llie  i-lantagenet  princes  and   their  Parliaments  had  always 
exhibited  a  jealousy  of  the  See  of  Rome,  and  statute  upon 
statute  was  passed,  from  the  reign  of  Henry  II.  to  that  of  Rich- 
ard  II,  m  order  to  diminish  the  power  of  the  Supreme  Pontiffs 
in  nominating  to   English  benefices.    In  the  second  Richard's 
reign,  so  eventful  for  the  English  interest  in  Ireland,  it  had 
been  enacted  that  any  of  the  clergy  procuring  appointmenta 
directly  from  Rome,  or  exercising  powers  so  conferred,  should 
incur  the  penalty  of  a  praemunire-that  is,  the  forfeiture  of 
their  lands  and  chattels,  beside  being  liable  to  imprisonment 
during  the  King's  pleasure.    This  statute  was  held  to  apply 
equally  to  Ireland,  being  confirmed  by  some  of  those  petty 
conventions  of  "  the  Pale,"  which  the  Dublin  Governors  of  the 
XlVth  century  dignified  with  the  name  of  Parliaments. 

The  ancient  Irish  method  of  promotion  to  a  vacant  see  or 
abbacy,  though  modelled  on  the  electoral  principle  which 
penetrated  all  Celtic  usages,  was  undoubtedly  open  to  the 
charge  of   favoring    nepotism,  down  to  the  time  of   Saiiit 
Malachy,  the  restorer  of  the  Irish  Church.    After  that  period 
the  Prelates  elect  were  ever  careful  to  obtain  the  sanction  of 
the  Holy  See,  before  consecration.    Such  habitual  submission 
to  Rome  was  seldom  found,  except  in  cases  of  disputed  election, 
to  interfere  with  the  choice  of  the  clergy,  and  the  custom  greti 


'if^}*\»J 


S34 


POPULAR    HISTOUY    OP    IREIAND. 


more  and  more  into  favor,  as  the  English  method  of  noniinaHon 
by  the  crown  was  attoniptod  to  be  enforced,  not  only  Ihroujrh- 
«ut  "  the  Pale,"  but,  by  means  of  Knglish  agents  at  Rome  and 
Avignon,  in  the  appointment  to  sees,  within  the  provinces  of 
Anojiwlj,  Oashel,  and  Tuam.  The  ancient  usage  of  farming 
the  church  lands,  under  the  charge  of  a  lay  steward,  or  Frenach, 
elected  by  the  clan,  and  the  division  of  all  the  revenues  into 
four  parts— for  the  Bishop,  the  Vicar  and  his  priests,  for  the 
poor,  and  for  repnirs  of  tl-«  sacred  edifice,  was  equally  opposed 
to  the  pretensions  of  Princes,  who  looked  on  their  Bishops 
as  Barons,  and  Church  temporalities,  like  all  other  flefs,  as 
hold  origiiKilly  of  the  crown.  Even  if  there  had  not  been 
those  differences  of  origin,  interest,  and  government  which 
necessarily  brought  the  two  populations  into  collision,  these 
distinct  systems  of  ecclesiastical  polity  could  not  well  have 
existed  on  the  same  soil  without  frequently  clashing,  one  with 
the  other. 

In  our  notice  of  the  association  promoted  among  the  clergy, 
at  the  end  of  the  Xlllth  century,  by  the  patriotic  McMaelisa, 
("  follower  of  Jesus"),  and  in  our  own  comments  on  the  me- 
morable letter  of  Prince  Donald  O'Neil  to  Pope  John  XXII., 
written  in  the  year  1317  or  '18,  we  have  seen  how  wide  and 
deep  was  the  gulf  then  existing  between  the  English  and  Irish 
churchmen.  In  the  year  1324,  an  attempt  to  heal  this  unchris- 
tian breach  was  made  by  Piulip  of  Slane,  the  Dominican  who 
presided  at  the  trial  of  the  Knights  Templars,  who  afterwards 
became  Bishop  of  Cork,  and  rose  into  high  favor  with  the 
Queen-Mother,  Isabella.  As  her  Ambassador,  or  in  the  name 
of  King  Edward  III.,  still  a  minor,  he  is  reported  to  have  sub- 
mitted to  Pope  John  certain  propositions  for  the  promotion  of 
peace  in  the  Irish  Church,  some  of  which  were  certainly  well 
calculated  to  promote  that  end.  He  suggested  that  the  smaller 
Bishoprics,  yielding  under  sixty  pounds  per  annum,  should  be 
united  to  more  eminent  sees,  and  that  Irish  Abbots  and  Priors 
should  admit  English  lay  brothers  to  their  houses,  and  English 
Superiors  Irish  brothers,  in  like  manner.  The  third  propo- 
sition, however,  savors  more  of  the  politician  than  of  the 
peacemaker ;  it  was  to  bring  under  the  banu  of  excomwuii- 


POPULAR    lIIflrORY   OP   IRELAND.  835 

Mtk  1.  with  all  Ite  rigorous  con.sec, nonces  in  that  ago,  those 
^d,sturbers  of  tho  peace"  who  invaded  the  authorit^  of  the 
EnglKsh  K.ng  m  re,'and.  As  a  consoquence  of  tins  mission,  a 
Concordat  for  Ireland  socrns  to  havo  becM  .onrluded  at  Avignon, 

was,  no  doubt.  w,th  the  English  Court,  the  main  object  of. 
Fnar  Philip's  embassy.  "^ 

vr/1"  n '7;^.\^"'  ''"'"'"^'  '"^^  ^^^^^"  '^  ^^'«  ^'•''^tion  of  Martm 

In  the  last  forty  years  of  that  melancholy  period,  other  Prelates 
s.ttmg  at  Rome,  or  elsewhere  in  Italy,  claimed  tho  Apostolic 
primacy.    It  was  in  tho  midst  of  these  troubles  and  trials  of 
the  Church  that  tho  powerful  Kings  of  England,  who  were  also 
sovereigns  of  a  great  part  of  Prance,  contrived  to  e.xtort  from 
the  embarrassed  pontiffs  concessions  which,  however  rrratifyin- 
to  roya    pride,  were  abhorrent  to  the  more  Catholic  spirit  of' 
tho  Insh  people.     A  constant  struggle  was"  maintained  du.in^ 
the   entire  period  of  the  captivity  of  the   Popes   in  Franco 
between  Roman  and  English  influence  in  Ireland.     There  were 
Often  two  sets  of  Bishops  olocted  in  such  border  sees  as  Meath 
and  Louth,  winch  were  districts   under  a  divided   influence. 
The  Bishops  of  Limerick.  Cork,  and  Waterford.  liable  to  have 
their  revenues  cut  off.  and  their  personal  liberty  endangered 
by  sea,  were  almost  invariably  nominees  of  the  English  Court  • 
those  of  the  Province  of  Dublin  were  necessarily  so ;  but  the 
prelates  of  Ulster,  of  Connaught.  and  of  Munster-the  southern 
aeaportsexcepte,l-were  almost  invariably  native  ecclesiastics, 
elected  m  the  old  mo<le,  by  the  assembled  clergy,  and  receiv- 
mg  letters  of  conlirmation  direct  from  Avignon  or  Italy 

A  fm-  incidents  in  the  history  of  the  Church  of  *  Cashel 
w,  1  bett.r  illustrate  the  character  of  the  contest  between  the 
native  episcopacy  and  the  foreign  power.  Towards  the  end  of 
the  Xlllth  century,  Archbishop  McCarwill  maintained  with 
great  courage  the  independence  of  his  jurisdiction  a  ainst 
Henry  III.  and  Edward  I.  Having  i.Juct.d  certain  Bishops 
into  their  sees  without  waiting  for  the  royal  letters,  he  sustained 
a  long  ht.gation  in  the  Anglo-Irish  courts,  and  was  much  har- 
Msed  m  his  goods  and  person.    Seizing  from  a  usurer  £400^ 


;;n 


II 


830 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


he  auccossfully  resisted  the  foudal  claim  of  Edward  I.,  as  lord 
paramount,  to  pay  over  the  money  to  the  royal  exchequer 
Edward  having  undertaken  to  erect  a  prison— or  fortress  in 
disifulso— in  his  episcopal  city,  the  bold  Prelate  publicly  ex- 
communicated  the  Lord  Justice  who  undertook  the  work,  the 
escheator  who  supplied  the  funds,  and  all  those  engaged  in  its 
construction,  nor  did  he  desist  from  his  opposition  until  the 
obnoxious  building  was  demolished.  Ralph  O'Kelly,  who  filled 
the  same  see  from  1346  to  1361,  exhibited  an  equally  daunt- 
less spirit.  An  Anglo-Irish  Parliament  having  levied  a 
subsidy  on  all  property,  lay  and  ecclesiastical,  within 
their  jurisdiction,  to  carry  on  the  war  of  races  before 
described,  he  not  only  opposed  its  collection  within  the  Pro- 
vince of  Cashel,  but  publicly  excommunicated  Epworth, 
Clerk  of  the  Council,  who  bad  undertaken  that  task. 
For  this  offence  an  information  was  exhibited  against  him, 
laying  the  King's  damages  at  a  thousand  pounds ;  but  he 
pleaded  the  liberties  of  the  Church,  and  successfully  traversed 
the  indictment.  Richard  O'Hedian,  Archbishop  from  140r)  to 
1440,  was  a  Prelate  of  similar  spirit  to  his  predecessors.  At  a 
Parliament  held  in  Dublin  in  1421,  it  was  formally  alleged, 
among  other  enormities,  that  he  made  very  much  of  the  Irish 
and  loved  none  of  the  English ;  that  ho  presented  no  Englishman 
to  a  benefice  and  advised  other  Prelates  to  do  likewise,  and 
that  he  made  himself  King  of  Munster — alluding,  probably,  to 
some  revival  at  this  time  of  the  old  title  of  Prince-Bishop, 
which  had  anciently  belonged  to  the  Prelates  of  Cashel. 
O'Hedian  retained  his  authority,  however,  till  his  death,  after 
which  the  see  remained  twelve  years  vacant,  the  temporalities 
being  farmed  by  the  Earl  of  Ormona. 

From  this  conflict  of  interests,  frequently  resulting  in  dis- 
puted possession  and  intrusive  jurisdiction,  religion  must  have 
suffered  much,  at  least  in  its  discipline  and  decorum.  The 
English  Archbishops  of  Dublin  would  not  yield  in  public  pro- 
cessions to  the  Irish  Archbishops  of  Armagh,  nor  permit  the 
crozler  of  St.  Patrick  to  be  borne  publicly  through  their  city ; 
the  English  Bifihop  of  Waterford  was  the  public  accuser  of  tho 
Irish  Archbishop  of  Cashel,  last  mentioned,  before  a  lay  trf- 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


837 


!»nnaJ-the  knights  and  burgesses  of  "  the  Pale."  The  animal 
expeditions  sent  out  from  Dublin,  to  harass  the  nearest  native 
clans,  were  seldom  without  a  Bishop  or  Abbot,  or  Prior  of 
the  Temple  or  Hospital,  in  their  midst.  Scandals  must  have 
ensued;  hatreds  must  have  sprung  up;  prejudices,  fatal  to 
chanty  and  unity,  must  have  been  engendered,  both  on  the  one 
Bule  and  the  other.  The  spirit  of  party,  carried  into  the  Church 
ca.,  be  cherished  in  the  presence  of  the  Altar  and  Cross  only 
by  domff  violence  to  the  teachings  of  the  Cross  and  the  sanctity 
01  the  Altar.  ^ 

While  such  was  the  troubled  state  of  the  Church,  as  exem- 
phtted  ,n  ite  twofold  hierarchy,  the  religious  orders  continued 
to  spread  with  amazing  energy,  among  both  races.  The 
°f  r  vrrr?'  ^'^''"''  ^"'^  ^"'"'  Dominick.  those  twin  giants 

wh-  h  ^    Ir.  ''"''''^'  "''"^'^y  "^'"^^  "^«  "^'^sUy  brotherhood 
winch  Sa.nt  Bernard  had  consecrated,  and  Saint  Malachy  had 

introduced  into  the  Irish  Church.    It  is  observable  that  the 

Domuncans,  at  least  at  first,  were  most  favored  by  the  English 

and  the  Anglo-Irish ;  while  the  Franciscans  were  more  popular 

with  the  native  population.    Exception's  may  be  found  on  both 

Bides ;  but  as  a  general  rule  this  distinction  can  be  traced  in 

the  strongholds  of  either  order,  and  in  the  names  of  their  most 

conspicuous  members,  down   to  that  dark  and  trying  hour 

when  the  tempest  of  "  the  Reformation"  involved  both  in  a 

common  danger,  and  demonstrated  their  equal  heroism     As 

elsewhere  in  Christendom,  the  sudden  aggrandizement  of  these 

mendicant  institutes  excited  jealousy  and  hostility  amon-r  cer- 

tain  of  the  secular  clergy  and  Bishops.     This  feeling  was^even 

Btronger  in  England,  during  the  reigns  of  Edward  III  and 

Richard  II.,  when,  according  to  the  popular  superstition,  the 

Uevil  appeated  at  various  places  "  in  the  form  of  a  grey  friar  " 

The  great  champion  of  the  secular  clergy,  in  the  contro.ersy 

which  ensued,  was  Richard,  son  of  Ralph,  a  native  of  Dundalk 

the  Erasmus  of  his  age.    Having  graduated  at  Oxford,  where 

the  Irish  were  then  classed  as  one  of  "  the  four  nations"  of 

jtudents,  Fitz-Ralph  achieved  distinction  after  distinction  till 

he  rose  to  the  rank  of  Chancellor  of  the  University,  in  1333. 

Fourteen  years  afterwards  he  was  consecrated,  by  provision  of 


I 


888 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP  IRELAND, 


Pope  Clement  Vlth,  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  and  ia  by  som« 
writers  styled   "Cardinal  of   Armagh."     Inducted  into  tho 
chief  see  of  his  native  Province  and  country,  he  soon  com- 
menced those  sermons  and  writings  against  the  mendicant 
orders  which  rendered  him  so  conspicuous  in  the  Church  his- 
tory of  the  XlVth  century.    Summoned  to  Avignon,  in  1350, 
to  be  examined  on  his  doctrine,  he  maintained  before   the 
Consistory  the  following  propositions  :  1st,  that  oar  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  as  a  man,  was  very  poor,  not  that  He  loved  poverty  for 
itself;  2d,  that  our  Lord  had  never  begged ;  M,  that  He  never 
taught  men  to  beg  ;  4th,  that,  on  the  contrary,  He  taught  men 
not  to  beg ;  5th,  that  man  cannot,  with  prudence  and  holiness, 
confine  himself  by  vow  to  a  life  of  constant  mendicity ;  6th, 
that  minor  brothers  are  not  obliged  by  their  rule  to  beg ;  7th, 
that  the  bull  of  Alexander  IV.,  which  condemns  the  Book  of 
Masters,  does  not  invalidate  any  of  the  aforesaid  conclusions; 
8th,  that  by  those  who,  wishing  to  confess,  exclude  certain 
churches,  their  parish  one  should  be  preferred  to  the  oratories 
of  monks  ;  and  9th,  that,  for  auricular  confession,  the  diocesan 
bishop  should  be  chosen  in  preference  to  friars. 

In  a  "  defence  of  Parish  Priests,"  and  many  other  tracts,  in  sev- 
eral sermons,  preached  at  London,  Litchfield,  Drogheda,  Dun- 
dalk,  and  Armagh,  he  maintained  the  thesis  until  the  year  1367, 
when  the  Superior  of  the  Franciscans  at  Armagh,  seconded  by 
the  influence  of  his  own  and  the  Dc-rninican  order,  caused 
him  to  be  summoned  a  second  time  before  the  Pope.  Fitz^ 
Kalph  promptly  obeyed  the  summons,  but  before  the  cause 
could  be  finally  decided  he  died  at  Avignon  in  1361.  Hia 
body  was  removed  from  thence  to  Dundalk  in  1370  by  Stephen 
de  Valle,  Bishop  of  Meath.  Miracles  were  said  to  have  been 
wrought  at  his  tomb ;  a  process  of  inquiry  into  their  validity 
was  instituted  by  order  of  Boniface  IX.,  but  abandoned  without 
any  result  being  arrived  at.  The  bitter  controversy  between 
the  mendicant  and  other  orders  was  revived  tov/ards  the  end  of 
the  century  by  Henry,  a  Cistertian  monk  of  Baltinglass,  who 
maintained  opinions  still  n\ore  extreme  than  those  of  Fitz-Ea!ph ; 
but  he  was  compelled  publicly  and  solemnly  to  retract  them 


■/ 


l-OrulAB    msTOKY  OF  IKKLANB. 


839 


Wore  Coon,is«onc«  appointed  for  that  purpo.e  in  the  yea. 

The  range  of  mental  culture  in  Europe  durin<r  the  XIV.l, 
century  .neluded  only  the  .ehoiastio  phuLophrand  theol  Jt 
w*  thephysica,  taught  in  the  .cnoob  „,  the  Spanish  Am  J 

and  fZ  r^  '"'  *'  """"'  "'  *»*  literature  in  C" 

and  the  general  restoration  of  classical  learning     The  ferme; 

chll^  ,      «      ''.'="""°«^«»'  produced  Italian  poetry,  French 
chronicles,  Spanish  ballads,  and  all  that  wonderful  efllL*  cenee 
of  popular  literature.  Which,  in  our  far  advanced  cuCtTon 
we  t.ll  =0  much  envy  and  admire.    In  the  last  days  „    s  h  °' 

irct  rdsTSre.Ztt  lv-'™'  « "* 

.j^.r.ture  unless therear/^irtlLtesTt^'^elg— 

tond,  and  even  Scotlana,  not  to  speak  of  Italy  or  Prance 
Archb,shop   Fitz-Ralph.   John   Scotus  of   Down    W  1^70,' 

re;t:ntrvrr"  r/r '"™  ^  <^^'ori,.;Jzi:i 

men  To  her  T';^-  ""'  ^''°"^'  ^"''P  "'  '»-  S*<><"- 

Tf  ?'•  1,  r!  r  '""'""™  ""nie  remains  to  be  added  to  the  roll 
Of  Insh  Scholastics,  that  Of  Maurice  O.Fihely,  ArcbbisLop™ 

I  r.d%  .  ''""""™«^™»  «■•  &*«,  his  Dictionary  of  the 
Sacred  Scnptures,  and  other  numerous  writings  go  far  to  ius! 
t-fy  he  compliments  of  his  cotemporaries,  though  the  fCd 
appellafon  of  the  "  flower  of  the  earth"  givLn  him  by  some  "f 

from  Ror't   :  T'"™"^"'  ^"''  '^"'''-    ^o""  »"-  "-'ving 

1513  ,„  the  flffeth  year  of  his  age-a-   early  age  to  have  wo. 
eo  colossal  a  reputation.  »vo  won 

andTT"  T"  T^'"  ^""'"'  """"P"-"'  <"  -""""tic  home, 
and  a  few  rhymed  panegyrics,  the  muses  of  history  anH 
poetry  seem  to  have  abandoned  the  island  to  the  theologLt 
Junsts,  and  men  of  science.    The  Bardic  order  was  still  „rof 

ta  tb-  ;"r' «  ""'""'  ""•'  '"""^  """■'"'»  "'•*''  of  their  harw 
ta  the  lady  Margaret  O'Carroll,  of  Offally,  William  O'Kelloy 


S40 


POPULAR    HIST0R5     OF   IRELAND. 


Of  Galway,  and  Henry  Avery  O'Neil.  Full  collecUons  of  tha 
original  Irish  poetry  of  the  Middle  Ages  are  yet  to  be  made 
public,  but  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  if  any  composition  of 
eminent  merit  existed,  we  shou.d  not  have  had  editions  and 
trauBlatioDS  of  it  before  now. 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRII.AWn, 


341 


BOOK    VII. 

UNION   OF  THE  CROWNS  OF  ENGLAND 
AND  IRELAND. 


CHAPTER  I. 

CARDINAL  WOLSEY. 

Hss.y  THE  Eighth  of  England  succeded  his  father  on  .lu. 
terone,  early  in  the  year  1609.   He  was  in  the  eiweel    '^ 
Of  h,s  age,  when  he  thus  found  himself  master  of  IZZaZ 
treasury  and  an  united  kingdom.    Fortune  as  if  t^T        ! 
Ws  felicity,  had  furnished  him  from    he  JuJef of  hT 

was  1  nomas  Wolsey,  successively  royal   Chanl«,-n    ai 
Archhishop  Of  York,  Papa,  Legate!  Lo^  ChanSo;  and  Wd 
Cardinal.    From  the  fifth  to  the  twentieth  Tear  o  SrH 
he  was,  in  erect,  «,verei,„   in  the  state,  IZ^lZTj^^ 
to  find  how  much  time  he  contriyed  to  borrow  from  ,h„ 

=::fJ:;r;or""''^'-------»^^^^^^^^ 

OS  absolute   in   Ireland   is    °^  "".'"  ""'"5  •"""P'' ""•'•ster 

de,»rmi„ed  to  ahoHh  every  TLf.TZ  *''''."'"'"""•      «» 

Of  the  King  of  England,  an'd  to   h     e^'lTeToirdt  e"'  """ 
Bcrib!  the  power  of  the  4i,„l„  irr.k  n        'e'olved  tc  cjrcnm- 

b7  ■■dulce«ys"and"pomicd;  ^  rr-  "'  *"  l'"  ""' 

pumic  aruts,    as  he  expressed  it,  thfl 


i 


842 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND, 


■  SB!: 


ni 


Milesian-Irish  Chiefs.  This  policy,  continued  by  all  the 
Tudor  sovereigns  till  the  latter  years  of  Elizabeth,  so  far  as  it 
distinguished  between  the  Barons  and  Chiefs,  always  favored 
the  latter.  The  Kildares  and  Desmonds  were  hunted  to  the  doath 
in  the  same  age,  and  by  the  same  authority,  which  carefully  fos- 
tered every  symptom  of  adhesion  or  attachment  on  the  part  of 
the  O'Neils  and  O'Briens.  Neither  were  these  last  loved  or 
trusted  for  their  own  sakes,  but  the  natural  enemy  fares  better 
in  all  histories  than  the  unnatural  rebel. 

We  must  enumerate  some  of  the  more  remarkable  instances 
of  Wolsey's  twofold  policy  of  concession  and  intimidation.    In 
Uie  third  and  fourth  years  of  Henry,  Hugh  O'Donnell,  lord  of 
Tyrconnell,  passing  through    England,   on   a    pilgrimage    to 
Kome,  was  entertained  with  great  honor  at  Windsor  and  Green- 
wich  for  four  months  each  time.     He  returned  to  Ulster  deeply 
impressed  with  the  magnificence  of  the  young  monarch  and 
the  resources  of  his  kingdom.     During  the  remainder  of  his 
lite  he  cherished  a  strong  predilection  for  England  •  he  dis- 
suaded James  IV.  of  Scotland  from  leading  a  liberating  expe- 
dition  to  Ireland  in  1513-previou8  to  the  ill-fated  campaic^n 
which  ended  on  Flodien  field,  and  he  steadily  resisted  the 
influx  of  the  Islesmen  iuto   Down  and   Antrim.       In  1521  we 
find  him  described  by  the  Lord  Lieutenant,  Surrey,  as  being 
of  all  the  Irish  chiefs  the  best  disposed  "  to  fall  into  English 
order."    He  maintained  a  direct  correspondence  with  Henry 
until  his  death,  1637,  when  the  policy  he  had  so  materially 
assisted  had  progressed  beyond  the  possibility  of  defeat     Sim- 
ultaneously with  O'Donnell's  adhesion,  the  same  views  found 
favor  with  the  powerful  chief  of  Tyrone.    The  O'Neils  were 
now  divided  into  two  great  septs,  those  of  Tyrone,  whose  seat 
was  at  Dungannon,  and  those  of  Clandeboy,  whose  strongholds 
studded  the  eastern  shores  of  Lough  Neagh.     In  the  year"l4dO 
Con  O'Neil,  lord  of  Tyrone,  married  his  cousin-germain.  Lady 
Alice   Fitzgerald,   daughter  of   the  Earl  of  Kildare       Thl^ 
•llianco  tended  to  establish  an  intimacy  between  Maynooth  and 
Dungannon,  which  subserved  many  of  the  ends  of  Wolsey'i 
policy.     Turlogh,  Art,  and  Con,  sons  of  Lady  Alice,  ana  suo- 
ceseively  chiefs  of  Tyrone,  adhered  to  the  fortunes  of  the  Sil. 


'   1 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IR2LAND. 


343 


dare  family,   who    were,  however  un>villingly,  controlled  by 
the  Bupericr  power  of  Henry.    The  Clandeboy  O'^eils.  on  the 
contrary,  regarded  this  alliance  aa  nothing  short  of  apostacv 
and  pursued  the  exactly  opposite  course,  repudiating  English 
and  cultivating  Scottish  alliances.    Open  ruptures  and  frecjue^.t 
ct^lhsions  took  place  between  u,e  estranged  and  exasperated 
kmsmen ;  m  the  sequel  we  will  find  how  the  last  surviving  son 
ot  Lady  Ahce  became  in  his  old  age  the  first  Earl  of  Tyrone 
whi.o  the  House  of  Clandeboy  took  up  the  title  of  "  the  O'Neil '» 
The  example  of  the  elder  branch  of  this  ancient  royal  race 
and  of  the  hardly  less  illustrious  family  of  Tyrconnell,  exercised 
a  potent  influence  on  the  other  chieftains  of  Ulster. 

An  elaborate  leport  on  "  the  State  of  Ireland,"  with  "  a  plan 
for  Its  P.pforraation"-submitted  to  Henry  in  the  year  1515- 
gives  us  a  tolerably  clear  vie  .  of  the  political  and  military 
condition  of  the  several  provinces.     The  only  portions  of  the 
c^ountry  m  any  sense  subject  to  English  law,  v/ere  half  the 
counties  of  Louth,  Meath,  Dublin,  Kildare,  and  Wexford     The 
residents  within  these  districts  paid  "  black  rent"  to  the  nearest 
native  chiefs.    Sheriffs  were  not  permitted  to  execute  writs 
beyond  f„e  bounds-  th:rs  described,  and  even  within   thirty' 
miles  of  Dublin,  March-law  and  Brehon-law  were  in  full  force 
Ten  native  magnates  are  enumerated  in  Leinster  as    "  chief 
captains"  of  their  "  nation8"-not  one  of  whom  regarded  the 
English    King  .«  his  Sovereign.      Twenty  chiefs  in  Munste 
fifteen  mConnaught,  and  three  in  Westmeath,  maintained  thei; 
ancient  state,  administered  their  own  laws,  and  recogrized  no 
supenonty,  except  in  one  another,  as  policy  or  custom  com^ 

r!  -f .       1;.       ^""^  "^'''  ^'^^"'^  ^^P^^^"«'  «^^'h«™  eighteen 
resided  in  Munster,  seven  in  Connaught,  and  the  remainder  in 

Meath,  Down,  and  Antrim,  are  set  down  m  "rebels"  and  fol 

lowers  of  "the  Irish  order."    Of  these,  the  principal  in  the 

mid  and  counties  were  the  Dillons  and  Tyrrells,  in  the  West  the 

Burkes  and  Berminghams,  in  the  South  the  Powers,  Barrys 

Roches-the  Ea,  1  of  Desmond  and  his  relatives.     The  enormou^ 

th  of  these  Munster  Geraldines,  and  their  not  less  insati- 

-eefl,  produced  many  strange  complications  in  the  politics 

South.    Not  content  with  the  moiety  of  Kerry,  Cork 


able 

Of 


344 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OB    IRELAND. 


and  Waterford,  they  had  planted  their  landless  cadets  along 
the  Snir  and  the  Shannon,  in  Ormond  and  Thomond.       They 
narrowed  the  dominions  of  the  O'Briens  on  the  (me  hand  and 
the  McCarthys  on  the  other.    Concluding  peace  or  war  with 
their  neighbors,  as  suited  their  own  convenience,  they  some- 
times condescended  to  accept  ftirther  feudal  privileges  fron 
the  Kings  of  England.     To  Maurice,  Xth  Earl,  Hen^y  Vlltt 
had  granted  "all  the  customs,  cockets,  poundage,  prize  wine» 
of   Limerick,  Cork,  Kinsale,   Baltimore  and   Youghall,  with 
other  privileges  and  advantages."     Yet  Earl  James,  in  the  next 
reign,  did  not  hesitate  to  treat  with  Francis  of  France  and  the 
Emperor  of  Germany,  as  an  independent  Prince,  long  before 
the   pretence  of  resisting  the  Reformation  could  be  alleged 
in  hia  justification.    What  we  have  here  to  observe  is,  that 
this  predominance  of  the  Munster  Geraldines  drove  first  one 
and  then  another  branch  of  the  McCarthys,  and  O'Briens,  into 
the  meshes  of  Wolsey's  policy.    Cormac  Oge,  lord  of  Muskerry, 
und  his  cousin,  the  lord  of  Carbery,  defeated    the  Xlth  Earl 
(James),  at  Moore  Abbey,  in  1521,  with  a  loss  of  1,500  foot  and 
5  or  600  horsemen.      To  strengthen  himself  against  the  power- 
ful adversary  so  deeply  wounded,  Cormac  sought  the  protection 
of  the  lord  lieutenant,  the  Earl  of  Surrey,  and  of  Pierce  Roe,  the 
Vlllth  Earl  of  Ormond,  who  had  common  wrongs  to  avenge. 
In  this  way  McCarthy  became  identified  with   the  English 

interest,  which  he  steadily  adhered  to  till  his  death in 

1536.  Driven  by  the  same  necessity  to  adopt  the  same  expe- 
dient, Murrough  O'Brien,  lord  of  Thomond,  a  few  years  later 
visited  Henry  at  London,  where  he  resigned  his  principality, 
received  back  his  lands,  under  a  royal  patent  conveying  them 
to  him  as  "  Earl  of  Thomond,  and  Baron  of  Inchiquin." 
Henry  was  but  too  happy  to  have  raised  up  such  a  counter- 
poise to  the  power  of  Desmond,  at  his  own  door,  while  O'Brien 
was  equally  anxious  to  secure  foreign  aid  against  such  intoler- 
able encroachments.  The  policy  worked  effectually  ;  it  brought 
the  succeeding  Earl  of  Desmond  to  London,  an  humble  suitor 
for  the  King's  mercy,  and  favor,  which  were  after  some  demur 
granted. 

The  event,  however,  which  most  directly  tended  to  the  esta. 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND 


S45 


Mishment  of  an  English  royalty 


resslon 


Ireland,  was  the  ( 

an  Zf'"T  r    ^''^"''  ^"  ''"  ^^^""'"^  ^'  ^^^«  reign,  and  its 
all  but  extinction  a  few  years  later.     Gerald  the  IXth  Earl  of 

that  title,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  office  of  lord  deputy  in 

the  first  years  of  Henry.    He  had  been  a  ward  at  the  courf  of 

Jie  preceding  King,  -  .d  by  both  his  first  and  second  marria/es 

was  closely  connected  with  the  royal  family.     Yet  he  stood  'n 

est  heads  m  the  realm  trembled.    His  father,  as  if  to  secure 
i'dlThf  ^'^^^^^^^^^^^^  --^^  Of  the  Buti;rs,  had  marrL" 

wards  vf;;,:  I'Tf^c  ''""^  ^^^'  ^^^'  ^^  ^^^^^^  -f^- 

wards  VITTth   Earl  of  Ormond-liie  restorer  of  that  house 

"d^'  amnr  rr'  '^^^^'^  ^^^^^  *^^  antipathies  0?!:; 
husbands  family,  and  being  of  masculine  spirit,  with  an  un- 
common genius  for  public  aff^airs,  helped  more  thin  any  Bu^lr 
shewrw:%t  '""'^^  the  ove.hadowing  house  of  wS 
exercised  m  favor  of  Ormond,  who  had  the  skill  to  recommend 

Cardinal  s  disgrace  and  death.     But  the  struggles  of  the  house 
of  Kildare  were  bold  and  desperate. 


CHAPTER  II, 

THE      IKStTRRECTION     OP      SILKEN     THOMAS-THE      OERALDtV^ 
/.KAODE -ADMINISTRATION   OF    LORD   LEONARD    ORAy 

The  IXth  and  last  Catholic  Earl  of  Kildare,  in  the  ninth  year 
of  Henry  Vlllth,  had  been  summoned  to  London  to  answer 

'Tst  tha?r  rf '  '-"""^^  "'"^  by  his  political  enemies: 
1st,  that  he  had  enriched  himself  and  his  followers  out  of  the 
crown  lands  and  revenues.  2d,  that  he  had  formed  alliance! 
and  corresponded  with  divei-s  Irish  enemies  of  the  State." 
Pending  these  charges  the  Earl  of  Surrey,  the  joint-victor  with 

stead,  with  the  title  of  Lord  Lieutenant. 


! 

■    ^ 


346 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IREuAT?D. 


Kildare,  by  the  advice  of  Wolsey,  was  retained  in  a  sort  of 
honorable  attendance  on  the  person  of  the  King  for  nearly  fou» 
years.     During  this  interval  he  accompanied  Henry  to  "  the 
field  of  the  cloth  of  Gold,"  so  celebrated  in  French  and  Encrlish 
chronicles.     On  his  return  to  Dublin,  in  1523,  he  found"  his 
enemy  the  Earl  of  Ormond  in  his  old  office,  but  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  supplanting  him  one  year  afterwards.    In  1525,  on  the 
discovery  of  Desmond's  correspondence  with  Francis  of  France 
he  was  ordered  to  march  into  Munster  and  arrest  that  noble- 
man.    But,  though  he  obeyed  the  royal  order,  Desmond  sue 
cesstully  evaded  him,  not,  as  was  alleged,  without  his  friendly 
connivance.     The   next    year    this   evasion   was   made   the 
ground        a  fresh  impeachment  by  the  implacable  Earl  of 
Ormon,  was  again  summoned  to  London,  and  committed 

to  the  Tower.     In  1630  he  was  liberated,  and  sent  over,  with 
•  Sir  Wilham  Skeffington,  whose  authority  to  some  extent  he 
shared.     The  English  Knight  had  the  title  of  Deputy,  but 
Kildare  was,  in  effect,  Captain   General,  as  the  Red  Earl   had 
formerly  been.    Skeffington  was  instructed  to  obey  him  in  the 
field,  while  it  was  expected  that  the  Earl,  in  return,  would 
sustain  his  colleague  in  the  Council.    A  year  had  not  passed 
before  they  were  declared  enemies,  and  Skeffington  was  recalled 
to  England,  where  he  added  another  to  the  r-mber  of  Kildare's 
enemies.    After  a  short  term  of  undisputed  power,  the  latter 
found  himself,  in  1533,  for  the  third  time,  an  irmate  of  the 
Tower.    It  is  clear  that  the  impetuous  Earl,  after  his  second 
escape,  had  not  conducted  himself  as  prudently  as  one  so  well 
forewarned  ought  to  have  done.    He  played  mor6  openly  than 
ever  the  twofold  part  of  Irish  Chief  among  the  Irish,  and  Eng- 
lish Baron  within  the  Pale.    His  daughters  were  married  to  the 
nafrfve  lords  of  Offally  and  Ely,  and  he  frequently  iook  part  as 
arbitrator  in  the  affairs   of  those  clans.    The  anti-Geraldine 
faction  were  not  slow  to  torture  these  facts  to  suit  themsdve* 
They  had  been  strengthened  at  Dublin  by  three  English  offi- 
cials, Archbishop  Allan,  his  relative  John  Allan,  afterwards 
Master  of  the  Rolls,  and  Robert  Cowley,  the  Chief  SolicitoR 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF  IRELAND. 


847 


tord  Ormond'g  confidential  agent.  The  reiterated  representa- 
tions of  these  personages  induced  the  suspicious  and  irascible 
King  to  order  the  Earl's  attendance  at  London,  authorizing 
him  at  the  same  time  to  appoint  a  substitute,  for  whose  conduct 
he  would  be  answerable.  KiJdare  nominated  his  son  LorrJ 
Thomas,  though  not  yet  of  man  s  age ;  after  giving  him'  many 
sage  advices,  he  sailed  for  England  no  more  to  return. 

The  English  interest  at  that  mc  ment  had  apparently  reached 
the  'owest  point.  The  O'Briens  had  bridged  the  Shannon,  and 
enforced  their  ancient  claims  over  Limerick.  So  defenceless, 
at  certain  periods,  was  Dublin  itself  that  Pdmond  Oge  O'Byrne 
surprised  the  Castle  by  night,  liberated  the  prisonera,  and 'car- 
ried off  the  stores.  This  daring  achievement,  unprecedented 
even  in  the  records  of  the  fearless  mountaineers  of  Wicklow, 
was  thrown  in  to  aggravate  the  alleged  offences  of  Kildare! 
He  was  accused  morever  of  having  employed  the  King's  great 
guns  and  other  munitions  of  war  to  strengthen  his  own  Castles 
of  Maynooth  and  Ley— a  charge  more  direct  and  explicit  than 
had  been  alleged  against  him  at  any  former  period. 

While  the  Earl  lay  in  Lonr'on  Tower,  an  expedient  very  com- 
mon  afterwards  in  our  his^.ry-the  forging  of  letters  and  des- 
patches—was resorted  to  by  his  enemies  in  Dublin,  to  drive  the 
young  Lord  Thomas  into  some  rash  act  which  might  prove 
fatal  to  his  father  and  himself.     Accordingly  the  packets 
brought  from  Chester,  in  the  spring  of  1634,  repeated  reports 
one  confirming  the  other,  of  the  execution  of  the  Earl  in  the 
Tower.    Nor  was  there  anything  very  improbable  in  such  an 
occurrence.    The  cruel  character  of  Henry  had,  in  these  same 
spring  months,  been  fully  developed  in  the  execution  of  the 
reputed  prophetess.  Elizabeth  Barton,  and  all  her  abettors. 
The  most  eminent  layman  in  England,  Sir  Thomas  More,  and 
the  most  illustrious  ecclesiastic.  Bishop  Fisher,  had  at  the  same 
time  been  found  guilty  of  misprison  of  treason   for  having 
known  of  the  pretended  prophecies  of  Elizabeth  without  com- 
municating their  knowledge  to  the  King.     That  an  Anglo-Irish 
Earl,  even  of  the  first  rank,  could  hope  to  fare  better  at  the 
hands  of  the  tyrant,  than  his  aged  tutor  and  his  trusted  Chancel- 


im 


...ii 


848 


POPULAR    HISTORT    OP   IRELAND. 


lor,  was  not  to  bo  expected.  When,  therefore  Lord  Thomas  Fitz* 
gerald  flung  down  the  sword  of  State  on  the  Council  table,  in 
the  hall  of  St.  Mary's  Abbey,  on  the  11  th  day  "f  June,  1584,  and 
formally  renounced  his  allegiance  to  King  Henry  as  the  murderer 
of  his  father,  although  he  betrayed  an  it)ipetuousandi>npoll(  j 
temper,  there  was  much  in  the  events  of  the  times  to  justify 
his  belief  in  the  rumors  of  his  father's  execution. 

This  renunciation  of  allegianr^e  was  a  declaration  of  open 
war.    The  chapter  thus  opened  in  the  memoirs  of  the  Leinster 
Oeraldines  closed  at  Tyburn  on  tlie  3d  of  February,  1687, 
Within    these    three    years,   the    policy   of    annexation  was 
hastened   by  several  events— but   by   none  more   than  thig 
unconcerted,  unprepared,  reckless  revolt.     The  advice  of  the 
imprisoned  Earl  to  his  son  had  been  "to  play  the  gentlest 
part,"  but  youth  and  rash  counsels  overcame  the  suggestiona 
of  age  and  experience.    One  great  excess  stained  the'cause  of 
" Silken  Thom.s,"  while  it  was  but  six  weeks  old.     Towards 
the  end  of  July,  Archbishop  Allan,  his  father's  deadly  enemy, 
left  his  retreat  in  the  Castle,  and  put  to  sea  by  night,  hoping 
to  escape  into  England.     The  vessel,  whether  by  design  or 
accident,  ran  ashore  at  Clontarf,  and  the  neighborhood  being 
overrun  by  the  insurgents,  the  Archbishop  concealed  himself 
at  Artane.    Here  he  was  discovered,  dragged  from  his  bed, 
and  murdered,  if  not  in  the  actual  presence,  under  the  same 
roof  with  Lord  Thomas.    King  Henry's  Bishops  hurled  against 
the  assassins  the  greater  excommunication,  with  all  its  penal- 
ties ;  a  terrific  malediction,  which  was,  perhaps,  more  than  coun- 
terbalanced  by  the  Papal  Bull  issued  against  Henry  and  Anne 
Boleyn  on  the  last  day  of  August— the  knowledge  of  which 
must  have  reached  Ireland  before  the  end  of  the  year.     This 
Bull  cited  Henry  to  appear  within  ninety  days  in  person,  or 
by  attorney,  at  Rome,  to  answer  for  his  oflfences  against  the 
Apostolic  See;   failing  which,  he  was  declared  excommuni- 
cated, his  subjecte  were  absolved  from  their  allegiance,  and 
commanded  to  take  up  arms  against  their  former  sovereign. 
The  ninety  days  expired  with  the  month  of  November,  1584. 

Lord  Thomas,  as  he  acted  without  consultation  with  others, 
•o  he  was  followed,  but  by  few  persons  of  influence.    Hia 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OP    IRKLAND. 


S49 


brothers-in-law,   the  chiefs   of  Ely  and  Offallv    O'Moore  of 
Leix   two  of  his  five  uncles,  his  relatives  the  Dolahides,  mus- 
tored  their  adherents,  and  rallied  to  his  standard.    He  held 
the  castles  of  Carlow,  Maynooth.  Athy,  and  other  strongholds  ' 
In  Kildaie.     He  besieged  Dublin,  and  came  to  a  composition 
with  the  citizens,  by  which   t.iey  agreed  to  allow  him  free 
ingress  to  assail  the  Castle,  into  which  his  enemies  had  with- 
drawn.    He  despatched  agents  to  the  Emperor,  Charles  Vth, 
and  the  Pope,  but  before  those  agents  could  well  have  returned 
--March,  1535— Maynooth  had  been  assaulted  and  taken  by 
Sir  William  Skefflngton-and  the  bands  collc<^ted  by  the  young 
lord  had  melted  away.    Lord   Leonard  Gray,  his  maternal 
uncle,  assumed  the  command  for  the  King  of  England,  instead 
of  Skefflngton,  disabled  by  sickness,  and  the  abortive  insur- 
rection  was  extinguished  in  one  campaign.     Towards  the  end 
of  August,  1635,  the  unfortunate  Lord  Thomas  surrendered  on 
the  guarantee  of  Lord  Leonard  and  Lord  Butler;  in  the  fol- 
lowmg  year  his  five  uncles-three  of  whom  had  never  joined 
in  the  rising-were  treacher(.usly  seized  at  a  banquet  given  to 
them  by  ^ray,  and  were  all,  with  their  nephew,  executed  at  Ty- 
burn, on  the  3d  of  February,  1537.    The  imprisoned  Earl  having 
died  m  tl  e  Tower  on  the  12th  of  December,  1534,  the  sole  sur- 
vivor  of  this  historic  house  was  now  a  child  of  twelve  years  of 
age,  whose  life  was  sought  with  an  avidity  equal  to  Herod's  but 
who  was  protected  with  a  fidelity  which  defeated  every  attempt 
to  capture  him.     Alternately  the  guest  of  his  aunts  married  to 
the  chiefs  of  Offally  and  Donegal,  the  sympathy  everywhere 
felt  for  hm  led  to  a  confederacy  between  the  Northern  and 
Southern  Chiefs,  which  had  long  been  wanting.  A  loose  .eague 
was  formed,  including  the  O'Neils  of  both  branches,  O'Donnell 
O'Brien,  the  Earl  of  Desmond,  and  the  chiefs  of  Moylura  and 
Breffni.     The  lad,  the  object  of  so  much  natural  and  chivalrous 
affection,  was  harbored  for  a  time  in  Munster,  thence  trans- 
ported  through  Connaught  into  Donegal,  and  finally,  after  four 
years,  in  which  he  engaged  more  of  the  minds  of  statesmen 
than  any  other  individual   under  the  rank  of  royalty   was 
safely  landed  in  France.    Vi^  shall  meet  him  again  in  anothe. 
-eign,  under  more  fortunate  auspices. 
30 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

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350 


POPUIAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


I     :li 


li!         i  I 


Lord  Leonard  Oray  continued  in  office  as  Deputy  for  nearly 
five  years  (1535-40).  This  interval  was  marke.l  by  several 
successw  against  detached  clans  and  the  parties  to  the  Gerald- 
Ine  league,  whom  he  was  careful  to  attack  only  in  succession. 
In  his  second  campaign,  0  Brien's  bridge  was  carried  and 
demolished,  one  O'Brien  was  set  up  against  another,  and  ono 
0  Conor  against  another;  the  next  year  the  Castle  of  Dungan- 
non  was  taken  from  O'Neil,  and  Dundrum  from  Magennis.    lu 

1539.  he  defeated  O'Neil  and  O'Donnell  at  Belahoe,  on  the 
borders  of  Farney,  in  Monaghan.  with  a  loss  of  400  men  and 
the  spoils  they  had  taken  from  the  English  of  Navan  and 
Ardee  The  Mayors  of  Dublin  and  Drogheda  were  knighted 
on  the  field  for  the  valor  they  had  shown  at  the  head  of  their 

ra,n-band3.  The  same  year,  he  made  a  successful  incursion 
into  the  territory  of  the  Earl  of  Desmond,  receiving  the  homage 
of  many  of  the  inferior  lords,  and  exonerating  them  from  the 
exactions  of  those  haughty  Palatines.    Recalled  to  England  in 

1540,  he,  too,  in  turn,  fell  a  victim  to  the  sanguinary  spirit  of 
King  Henry,  and  perished  on  the  scaffold. 


CHAPTER  in. 

BIB  ANTHONT  ST.  LEOER,  LORD  DEPITTT— NBGOTIATroiTS  OP  THU 
ZBISH  CHIEFS  WITH  JAMES  THE  FIFTH  OF  SCOtII^U-IZt 
ATTEMPTS  TO  INTRODUCE  THE  PROTESTANT  REPORMATIOn!- 
OPPOSITION  OF  THE  OLEROY-PARLIAMENT  OF  1641-THB 
PROCTORS  OF  THE  CLERGY  EXCLUDED-STATE  OF  THE  COtTN- 
TRY-THB  CROWNS  UNITED-HENRY  THB  BIOHTH  PROCLAIMED 
AT  LONDON  AND  DlTBLir.  Jr»uoi.AiMBD 

Upon  the  disgrace  of  Lord  Leonard  Gray  in  1540  Sir 
Anthony  St.  Leger  was  appointed  Deputy.  He  had  previously 
been  employed  as  chief  of  the  commission  issued  in  1637  to 
Burvey  land  subject  to  the  King,  to  inquire  into,  confirm, 
or  cancel  tiUes,  and  abolish  abuses  wrhich  might  have  crept  in 
among  the  Englishry,  whether  upon  the  marches  or  within  th« 
Pale.    In  this  employment  he  had  at  his  disposal  a  guard  of 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


851 


MO  men,  while  the  Deputy  md  Council  were  ordered  to  obey 
his  mandates  as  if  given  by  the  King  in  person.    The  commis- 
sioners were  further  empowered  to  reform  the  Courto  of  Law- 
to  enter  as  King's  Counsel  into  both  Houses  of  Pariian-ent' 
there  to  urge  the  adoption  of  measures,  upholding  English 
laws  and  customs,  establishing  the  King's  supremacy,  in  spirituals 
^  m  temporals,  to  provide  for  the  defence  of  the  marches,  and 
the  better  collection  of  the  revenues.    In  the  three  years 
which  he  cpent  at  the  head  of  this  commission,  St.  Leger,  aa 
eminently  able  and  politic  person,  made  himself  intimately 
acquainted  with  Irish  affairs;  as  a  natural  consequence  of 
which  knowledge  he  was  entrusted,  upon  the  first  vacancy, 
with  their  supreme  directions.    In  this  situation  he  had  to  con- 
tend, not  only  with  the  complications  long  existing  in  the  system 
itaelf,  but  with  the  formidable  disturbing  influence,  exercised 
by  the  Court  of  Scotland,  chiefly  upon  and  by  means  of,  the 
Ulster  Princes. 

Up  to  this  period,  the  old  political  intimacy  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland  had  kno  ,ra  no  diminution.    The  Scots  in  Antrim  could 
reckon,  soon  after  Henry's  accession  to  the  throne,  2,000  flcrht- 
ing  men.    In  1513,  in  order  to  co-operate  with  the  warlike 
movement  of  O'Donnell,  the  Scottish  fleet,  under  the  Earl  of 
Arran,  in  his  famous  flagship,  « the  great  Michael,"  captured 
Carrickfergus,  putting  its  Anglo-Irish  garrison  to  the  sword 
In  the  same  Scottish  reign  (that  of  James  IV.),  one  of  the 
O  Donnells  had  a  munificent  grant  of  lands  in  Kirkcudbright 
as  other  adventurers  from  Ulster  had  from  the  same  monarch' 
m  Galloway  and  Kincardine.    In  1623,  while  hosti'.ities  raaed 
between  Scotland  and  England,  the  Irish  Chiefs  entered  into 
treaty  with  Francis  the  First  of  France,  who  bound  himself  to 
^nd  m  Ireland  15.000  men,  to  expel  the  English  from  "  the 
Pale,"  and  to    carry  his  arms  across    the   channel    in  the 
quarrel  of  Richard  de  la  Pole,  father  of  the  famous  Cardinal 
and  at  this  time  a  formidable  pretender  to  the  English  throne' 
The  imbecile  conduct  of  the  Scottish  Regent,  the  Duke  of 
Albany,  destroyed  this  enterprize,  which,  however,  was  but 
the  forerunner,  if  it  was  not  the  model,  of  several  similar  com- 
binations.   When  the  Earl  of  Bothwell  took  refuge  at  the 


;::!! 


353 


PCPCIAB    BISTORT   OF  IRELAND. 


English  Court,  in  1831,  h»  suggested  to  Henry  Vin   am.n. 
other  mo.  ves  for  renewing  the  war  with  Ja„es  Vth,  hrth! 
latter  w^  ,„  league  "wia  the  Emperor,  the  Danish  k tag  and 
0  Donnell  "    The  following  y„ar,  a  Scottish  force  of  4,000  men 
under  John,  son  of  Alexander  McDonald,  Lord  of  ZuZ' 

Chieftam  of  Tyrconnell.  An  uninterrupted  correspondence 
between  the  Ulster  Chiefs  and  the  Scottish  Court  may  be 
t  aced  through  this  reign,  forming  a  curious  chapter  of  Irlsl! 

vh  LT  h  V  f  ■  ™  ""^  "  '*^'  ''<"«■  O''*'"  to  j-o 

Vth  from  which  it  appears  that  O'Neil's  Secretary  was  then 

fro™  m  r™    ,""  """•  ""  *"*  *=  "'^'"'S''  »"«  overtures 
from  Ulster  mu  tiplying  1„  number  and  earnestness.    In  that 

olT?„/r     ■    Tf  ^^  ™ ''»'"'''»  '^""'y  »"<'  tWrty  year, 

o  d,  and  his  powerful  minister.  Cardinal  Beaton,  was  acting  by 

him  the  part  that  Wolsey  had  played  by  Henry  at  alike'age 

The  Cardinal    favoring  the  French  and  Irish  alliances,  had 

d  awn  a  line  of  Scottish  policy,  in  relation  to  both  those    oun. 

r.es,  precisely  parallel  to  Wolsey's.    During  the  Oerald^e 

insurrection,  Henry  was  obliged  to  remonstrat!  with  ZZZ 

favors  shown  to  his  rebels  of  Ireland.    This  charge  James" 

ministers,  in  their  correspondence  of  the  year  1535  strenu 

over  whom  he  could  exercise  no  control,  might  have  gone 

Uie  English  agents  at  the  Scottish  Court,  communicated  to 
Secretary  Cromwell  that  James  had  flttci  out  aflet  o05 
.h  PS,  manned  by  2,000  men,  and  armed  with  all  the  ordnance 
that  he  could  muster;  that  his  destination  was  Irelanrth! 

bT™!": Ml  "*  'ri  ""-'''  '»  >'™.  «»  P-ior  Let 
by     eight  gentlemen,"  who  brought  him  written  tenders  of 

snbmiss  on  ..  from  all  the  great  men  of  I„land  "  wi^tt l" 

to  Wd  It  '•  !,"t,'.'r-»-.  'hat  the  King  had  declared 
«  Lord  Maxwell  his  determination  to  win  such  a  prize  a" 

the  a^LmnrV  ^'^"^J'^  ^"'"'^^  <>'  '»  loose  hfs  Z  „ 
the  attempt.  It  ,s  remarkable  that  in  this  same  spring  of  1640- 
While  such  waa  anae«.«Kl  to  be  the  destination  of  the  Scowi 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT    OF   IRELAND. 


353 

n>eeH„,  taking  p.ace,  'he  wll'^    7* /°  P--'  'hj' 
judges,  clergy,  townsnion  «r,.i  i,     ..    ?  ^^''''  "^^^^  ^^e 

yet  arrived  to  re„1ace  lord  Orart  W  «  i  ^^'  ""  '""'"*« 
aa  they  had  been  led  to  expect  tf*  "T '""""""™""y 
incursion  into  P.oscomlr  and  dLt  T  ""^'  "  "'•'"''""•'' 
belonging  to  O'Conor.  Th;  eolmand  T"  ''™'"'  *""«^ 
the  Ma^hal  Sir  Willia™  Bre^e'r  f"r  '"  "  '"''°'""°"  '^•'"' 
lords  Justices  Hj,  »».  Ii,  !^'/  °  '"°"™'  ™«  »f  'he 
Of  Kitaainj;  S  r "  R  :;t  1"^"!'*  ^^  *"  -'  PHor 
Arc„Ws„„p  „,   „„„,„,  theT:io  'ortau  'Mr"?','"" 

."irriraTSTten-it  sr^- ."  -™ 

James  Vth.    His  areat  «rmo^    "    f"^«  ^n  the  expedition  of 

jiis  great  armada  havinjr  nut  in  soo   o^* 
mg  among  the  out  T«.inr,^c       ^  ^  ^^'  ^^^®''  coast- 

port  from^'res  o/we  ^er^rtt'^^^^^^^^  " "°"'''™  '="«"^'> 
mem  of  any  k  nd      n    ,     '"""'"'  '">">«  "ithoat  achieve- 

newed  .eZ'ht  a^d't^rhlTrr:  r'-""^"^  '«■ 
the  extreme  displeasure  of  Coya,  kfasm iT"''""  '^f' '" 
much-prized  title  of  "  Defender  SreS'.^Zr'  "' 
ture  took  place  wh^n  fh^  t.-  i,        V  Another  rup- 

With  the  cu's  oml;  effec?  "a  let  T.  "^'"^  "'''  ''^"' 
ing  to  the  Irish  Chel  ae  Jesu  PatI  '«  "'■  '"'"""■ 
a«d  Capata.  who  P-sed  through  s!2nd' onZ""' ''^"'' 
reland,  James  styles  himself  ^..  LoHefiXd-',?^.''' 
msult  and  defiance  to  TT»nr„      v  Ireland  —another 

-tylewas  theuTt  afewZLs  ;r  "j«;^f -O"'-"  *»»"y 
Hen^  ordered  the  Arehhishoptf  tk  ""sellh:  e^S:: 
Of  that  see  for  evidence  of  his  claim  to  the  Crown  Jq     m   T 

open  war,  and  the  short,  but  fatal  campaign  of  1542  r'lf J 
another  rival  for  the  English  Kin<.  Tif  /  ^f^S,  removed 
Fala  an.1  nf  « .i         ,r  ^'    ^"®  double  defeat  of 

^■ala  and  of  Solway  Moss,  the  Reason  of  his  nobles^  and  th« 


m 


854 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF    IREIAND. 


-! :  I 


failure  of  his  hopes,  broke  the  heart  of  the  high-spirited 
James  Vth.    He  died  in  December,  1542,  in  the  83d  year  of  his 
age,  a  few  hours  after  learning  the  birth  of  his  daughter  so 
celebrated  as  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.    In  his  last  moments  he 
pronounced  the  doom  of  the  Stuart  dynasty—"  it  came  with  a 
lass,"  he  exclaimed,  "and  it  will  go  with  a  lass."    And  thus 
it  happened  that  the  image  of  Ireland  which  unfolds  the  first 
scene  of  the  War  of  the  Roses ;  which  is  inseparable  from  the 
story  of  the  two  Bruces ;  and  which  occupies  so  much  of  the 
first  and  last  years  of  the  Tudor  dynasty,  stands  mournfully  by 
the  death-bed  of  the  last  Stuart  King  who  reigned  in  Scotland— 
the  only  Prince  of  his  race  that  had  ')ver  written  under  hia 
name  the  title  of  "  Dominus  Hiherniee: 

The  premature  death  of  James  was  hardly  more  regretted  by 
his  immediate  subjects  than  by  his  Irish  allies.     All  external 
events  now  conspired  to  show  the  hopelessness  of  resistance  to 
the  power  of  King  Henry.    From  Scotland,  destined  to  half  a 
century  of   anarchy,  no   help  could    be  expected.    Wales 
another  ancient  aliy  of  the  Irish,  had  been  incorporated  with 
England,  m  1636,  and  was  fast  becoming  reconciled  to  the  rule 
ot  a  Prince,  sprung  from  a  Welsh  ancestry.    Francis  of  France 
and  Charies  Vth,  rivals  for  the  leadership  of  the  Continent 
were  too  buay  with  their  own  projects  to  enter  into  any  Irish 
alliance.    The  Geraldines  had  suffered  terrible  defeats;   the 
family  of  Kildare  was  without  an  adult  representative  •   the 
O'Neils  and  O'Donnells  had  lost  ground  at  Bellahoe,  and' were 
dismayed  by  the  unlooked-for  death  of  the  King  of  Scot^     J 
The  arguments,  therefore,  by  which  many  of  the  chiefs  m.ght 
have  justified  themselves  to  their  clans  in  1541,  '2  and  '3,  for 
submitting  to  the  inevitable  laws  of  necessity  in  rendering 
homage  to  Henry  Vlllth,  were  neither  few  nor  weak.    Abroad 
there  was  no  hope  of  an  alliance  sufficient  to  counterbalance 
the  immense    resources  of  Engi«nd;    at  home  life-wastincr 
private  wars,  the  conflict  of  laws,  of  languages,  and  of  titles  t^ 
property,  had  become  unbearable.    That  fatal  family  pride 
which  would  not  permit  an  O'Brien  to  obey  an  O'Neil,  nor  an 
O'Conor  to  follow  either,  rendered  the  establishment  of  a 
Mtive  monarchy-even  if  there  had  been  no  other  obstacle^ 


POPTOAR  BISIOBT  01  IBIUSS.  SU 

whony  impracticable.    Among  th,  clergy  »1„„.  m  a, 

net  J^ffct  ZT^."r  J"  '"'"""■  """  """"^  «'•  -»»'«•' 
iienry 8  lifetime,  the  "Reformation"  wore  the  aiiis«  «f  ««v,- 

as  distinguished  f.om  heresy.    To  deny  :i^l^:Lljt2 
Pope  and  admit  the  supremacy  of  the  King  werralml  ft! 
BO  e  tests  of  doctrine.    All  the  ancient  teaching    ^  r  iZV^ 
the  Seven  Sacraments,  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  the 
Real  Presence.  Purgatory,  and  Prayers  for  the  Dead  w  re 
crupulous ly  retained.    Subsequently,  the  necessity  of  airTc" 
lar  confession,  the  invocation  of  Saints,  and  the  celibacy  of  th« 
clergy  came  to  be  questioned,  but  they  were  not  do^  r    , 
assailed  during  this  reian     ti,.  V  dogmatically 

uiiug  mis  reign.    The  common  people  wher«  Fncr 
lish  was  understood  were  slnw  in  f«v        i  ^' 

.™o.«o., .  *ercLTs'rr,rr:? 

the  wh.teco„ntry-they  .ere  only  heard  of  ae  r„m„rfrom 
In  d^h?     f     J^'  ''°"'"  *'"'  "«"■>■•.  "«■«  "ot  long  ,tft 
From  1634,  the  year  of  his  divorce  ntiHl  IHA-l    .i 

aavocate  of  the  divtoroe,  some  time  Provincial  of  the  order  of  St 
Augustine  in  England.  Archbishop  of  Dublin  vacant  bvthl* 
murder  of  Archbishop  Allan.    On  the  12th  oVZch  1535 

t^f;      "«•  «™"'"-  ^i  •'»"»'  ««  the  episcoparorde" 
resoutely  resisted  his  me«,«res.  bnt  the  clergy  anfj^of 
Bub hn  refused  to  accept  his  new  forms  of  prTyer,  or  ^11 
to  h,s  strange  teaching.    He  inveighs  in  Ws  cor  e^^o^d^." 

p1  of  clrtt's'ot''  I'^T'  "°''°  "«'■  !•»"!* 'cas,^ 
Of  the  L??-  ?.""•'■  ""*  ^''"'™"''  ^«="°»'  »"  'h«  clergy 
Of  the  twenty-eight  secular  priests  in  Dublin  but  three  coSd 

b.  md»ced  to  act  with  to;  the  regular  orfe„  Uef™.^ 


I, ; 


i 


I  I 


856 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


i*     ;  '! 


H 


n  li 


equally  intractable — more  especially  the  Observandns,  whoM 
name  he  endeavored  to  change  to  Conventuals.  "  The  spirit- 
uiility,"  as  he  calls  them,  refused  to  take  the  oaths  of  abjura- 
tion and  supremacy ;  refused  to  strike  the  name  of  the  Bishop 
of  Rome  from  their  primers  and  mass-books,  and  seduced  the 
rest  into  like  contumacy.  Finding  persuasion  of  little  avail,  he 
sometimes  resorted  to  harsher  measures. 

Dr.  Sail,  a  grey  friar  of  Waterford,  was  brought  to  Dublin 
and  imprisoned  for  preaching  the  new  doctrines  in  the  Spring 
of  1538  ;  Thaddeus  Byrne,  another  friar,  was  put  in  the  pil- 
lory, and  was  reported  to  have  committed  suicide  in  the  Castle, 
on  the  14th  of  July  of  the  same  year  ;  Sir  Humfrey,  parson 
of  Saint  Owens,  and  the  suffragan  Bishop  of  Meath,  were 
"clapped  in  ward,"  for  publicly  praying  for  the  Pope's  weal 
and  the  King's  conversion ;  another  Bishop  and  friar  were  ar- 
rested and  carried  to  Trim,  for  similar  offences,  but  were  liber- 
ated without  trial,  by  Lord  Deputy  Gray;  a  friar  of  Waterford, 
in  1539,  by  order  of  the  St.  Leger  Commission,  was  executed 
in  the  habit  of  his  order,  on  a  charge  of  "  felony,"  and  so  left 
hanging  "  as  a  mirror  for  all  his  brethren."  Yet,  with  all  this 
severity,  and  all  the  temptations  held  out  by  the  wealth  of 
confiscated  monasteries,  none  would  abide  the  preaching  of  the 
new  religion,  except  the  "  Lord  Butler,  the  Master  of  tae  Rolls 
(Allan),  Mr.  Treasurer  (Brabazon),  and  one  or  two  more  of 
small  reputation." 

The  first  test  to  which  the  firmness  of  the  clergy  had  been 
put  was  in  the  Parliament  convoked  at  Dublin  by  Lord 
Deputy  Gray  in  May,  1637.  Anciently  in  such  assemblies  two 
proctors  of  each  diocese,  within  the  Pale,  had  been  accustomed 
to  sit  and  vote  in  the  Upper  House  as  representing  their  order, 
but  the  proposed  tests  of  supremacy  and  abjuration  were  so 
boldly  resisted  by  the  proctors  and  spiritual  peers  on  this 
occasion  that  the  Lord  Deputy  was  compelled  to  prorogue  the 
Parliament  without  attaining  its  assent  to  those  measures. 
During  the  recess  a  question  was  raised  by  the  Crown  lawyers 
as  to  the  competency  of  the  proctors  to  vote,  while  admitting 
their  right  to  be  present  as  councillors  and  assistants ;  thii 
question,  on  an  appeal  to  England,  was  declared  in  the  nega- 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT   OP   IRELAND.  357 

BouTn    """;""'""»''  the  clerical  opposition  in  the  Upper 

resting  the  proper^  „ran  r.°         '.    *"'  ''"'  '"'™  P"™'* 

which'time'thTvl    0    t^ifr     kT'"  "■'^'•'™=  "' 
jeiOOOOO  an/,1,  ■  ,  """aWes  waa  estimated  at 

*iuu,ouo  and  their  yearly  value  at  JE32  000     In  IKflr  .1  i. 
abbeys  were  suppressed  during  the  KingC'e. Lre  Tn     fs 
.eo™m,ss.on  issued  for  the  -uppression'ofU:,:;,  ^/fncl 
L  h.  '  '7™'^-'™--  «■•»'  Houses,  whose  Abbots  and  Prio„ 
bad  been  lords  of  Parliament,  were  declared  "  surrendered"  to 

"on.  the  case  of  M.Z'ZCZ  rCslhS"^ 
was  carried  prisoner  to  Dublin  and  suflTr^H.  1  '  "" 

nastereven,  at  Bective,  at  Jerpoint,  at  Tintern   and  t  T> 

tT,r  *!^V''?^'^''''  ""^  *^^  ""^''^y  counterbalanced  the  policy  of 
the  chiefs,  the  condition  of  the  .ass  of  the  population- Jo^'    . 


W 


n  i  IE 

It 


S5S 


POPULAR   lIlSrORY   OF   IRELAKD. 


•specially  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  pale  and  the  marches- 
was  such  an  to  make  them  cherish  the  expectation  that  anf 
Kovernraental  change  whatever  should  be  for  the  better     It 
was  under  these  circumstances,  a  far-reaching  policy,  which 
combined    the   causes    and   the  remedy  for 'siial 'wrongat 
w,th  invectives  against  the  old.  and  arguments  In  favor  of  th« 
new  rohg,on.    In  order  to  understand  what  elements  of  dis- 
content   here  were  to  be  wrought  to  such  conclusions,  It  Is 
enough  to  give  the  merest  glance  at  the  social  state  of  the 
lower  classes  under  English  authority.    The  St.  Leger  Com- 
mission represents  the  mixed  population  of  the  marches,  and 
the  Englishry  of  "the  Pale"  as  burthened  by  accumu  ated 
exactions.      Their   lords  quartered  upon  them  at   pWe 
their  horses,  servants,  and  guests.    They  were  charged  with 
coin  and  livery-that  is,  horse-meat  and  man's-meal-when 
their  lords  travelled  from  place  to  place-with  summer-oaL 

Easter,  with  black  men  and  black  money."  for  border  defence, 
and  with  workmen  and  axemen  from  every  ploughland.  to 
work  m  the  ditches,  or  to  hew  passages  for  the  soldiery  throigh 
the  woods.  Every  aggravation  of  feudal  wrong  was  inflicted 
on  this  harassed  population.  When  a  le  Poer  or  a  Butler 
married  a  daughter  he  exacted  a  sheep  from  every  flock,  and 
a  cow  from  every  village.  When  one  of  his  sons  went  to  Enff- 
and  a  special  tribute  was  levied  on  every  village  and  plough- 

W^  1    r'.  '^!  ^'"'"''^    gentleman's    travelling    expenses. 
When  the  heads  of  any  of  the  great  houses  hunted,  their  dogs 
were  to  be  supplied  by  the  tenants  "  with  bread  and  milk,  or 
butter       In  the  towns  tailors,  masons,  and  carpenters,  were 
texed  for  coin  and  livery;   "mustrons"  were  employed  in 
building  halls,  castles,  stables,  and  barns,  at  the  expense  of  the 
tenantry,  for  the  sole  use  of  the  lord.    The  only  effective  law 
was  an  undigested  jumble  of  the  Brehon,  the  Civil,  and  the 
Common  law;  with  the  arbitrary  ordinances  of  the  marches 
known  as  « the  Statutes  of  Kilcash"-so  called  from  a  horded 
stronghold  near  the  foot  of  Slievenamon-a  species  of  wild  jus- 
bee  resembUng  too  often  that  administered  by  Robin  Hood,  or 
JiOD  fioy. 


POPULAR   HI8T0RT  OF  IRELAWD.  ^^ 

.^'^''J fy^'"'^^^^^^^  concurring  to  promote  plaug  so  lona 
cherished  by  Henry,  St.  Leger  summoned  a  Parliament  for  the 
niorrow  after  Trinity  Bundny.  being  the  13th  of  the  month  of 
June,  1541.    The  attendance  on  the  day  named  waa  not  so  full 
as  was  expected,  so  the  opening  was  deferred  till  the  following 
Thursday-being  the  feast  of  Corpus  Christi.    On  that  festival 
the  Mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  solemnly  celebrated  in  St 
Patnck 8  Cathedral,  in  which  "two  thousand  persons"  had 
assembled.    The  Lords  of  Parliament  rode  in  cavalcade  to  the 
Church  doors,  headed  by  the  Deputy.     There  were  seen  side 
by  side  m  this  procession  the  Earls  of  Desmond  and  Ormond 
the  Lords  Barry  Roche  and  Bermingham ;  thirteen  Barons  of' 
the  Pale,    and  a  long  train  of  Knights;   Donogh  O'Brien 
Tanist  of  Tbomond,  the  O'Reilly.  0'Mo<,re  and  McWiUiam  ' 
Charles,  son  of  Art  Kavanagh,  lord  of  Leinster,  and  FitzpatI 
rick   lord  of  Ossory.    Never  before  had  so  many  Milesian 
chiefs  and  Norman  barons  been  seen  together,  except  on  the 
field  of  battle;  never  before  had  Dublin  beheld  marshalled  in 
her  streete  wnat  could  by  any  stretch  of  imagination  be  con- 
Bidered  a  national  representation.    For  this  singularity    not 

•  lT!/^n?J'"'  ^^^  ^"''"^''  '*  ^^'•ansacted.  the  Parliament  of 
1041  will  be  held  in  lasting  remembrance. 

In  the  sanctuary  of  St.  Patrick's,  two  Archbishops  and 

twelve  Bishops  assisted  at  the  solemn  Mass,  and  the  whole 

ceremony  was  highly  imposing.    "  The  like  thereof,"  wrote  St 

Leger  to  Henry,  "  has  not  been  seen  here  these  many  years  '• 

On  the  next  day,  Friday,  the  Commons  elected  Sir  Thomas 

Cusack  speaker,  who,  in  "  a  right  solemn  proposition,"  opened 

at  the  bar  of  the  Lords'  House  the  main  business  of  the  session-^ 

the  establishment  of  King  Henry's  supremacy.    To  this  address 

Lord  Chancellor  Allen-" well  and  prudentlie  answered-"- 

and  the  Commons  withdrew  to  their  own  chamber.    The  iub- 

Btance  of  both  speeches  was  "  briefly  and  prudentlie"  declared 

m  the  Irish  language  to  the  Gaelic  Lords,  by  the  Earl  of 

Ormond,   "greatly  to  their  contentation."    Then  St    Leger 

proposed  that  Henry  and  his  heirs  should  have  the  'title  of 

King,  and  caused  the  "bill  devised  for  the  same  to  be  read  '• 

This  bill  having  been  put  to  the  Lords'  House,  both  in  Irish 


im^ 


il  I 


860 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAWD, 


and  Enfrllfih,  pjwHed  fta  three  readings  at  the  same  Bitting.    In 
the  Commons  it  was  adopted  with  equal  unanimity  the  next 
day,  when  the  Lord  Deputy  most  joyfully  gave  his  consent. 
Thus  on  Saturday,  June  19th,  1541,  the  royalty  of  Ireland  was 
first  formally  transferred  to  an  English  dynasty.    On  that  day 
the  triumphant   St.  Leger  was   enabled   to  write   his  royal 
master  his  congratulations  on  having  added  to  his  dignities 
"  another  imperial  crown."    On  Sunday  bonfires  were  made  in 
honor  of  the  event,  guns  fired,  and  wine  on  stoop  was  set  in 
the  Ptreeta.    All  prisoners,  except  those  for  capital  offences, 
were  liberated ;  7>  Detm  was  sung  in  St.  Patrick's,  and  King 
Henry  issued  his  proclamation,  on  receipt  of  the  intelligence, 
for  a  general  pardon  throughout  all  his  dominions.     The  new 
title  was  confirmed  with  great  formality  by  the  English  Parlia- 
ment in  their  session  of  1542.    Proclamation  was  formally  made 
of  it  in  London,  on  the  1st  of  July  of  that  year,  when  it  was 
moreover  declared  that  after  that  date  all  persons  being  law- 
fully convicted  of   opposing  the    new  dignity  should  "be 
adjudged  high  traitors"—"  and  suffer  the  pains  of  death." 

Thus  was  consummated  the  first  political  union  of  Ireland 
with  England.  The  strangely-  constituted  Assembly,  which  had 
given  its  sanction  to  the  arrangement,  in  the  language  of  the 
Celt,  the  Norman,  and  the  Saxon,  continued  in  session  till  the 
end  of  July,  when  they  were  prorogued  till  November.  They 
enacted  several  statutes,  in  completion  of  the  great  change 
they  had  decreed ;  and  while  some  prepared  for  a  journey  to 
the  court  of  theii  new  sovereign,  others  returned  to  their 
homes,  to  account  as  best  they  could  for  the  part  tbey  had 
played  at  Dublin. 


I!  Hi 


rOFDLAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


Ml 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ADn^Smw   OP  o'WEIt,  o'dowwell  AXD   O'bRIEN— a  w.tr  A»nr« 
IRISH    PEERAOE-NEW   RELAT.ONS    OP    LORD    AND     TENANT 
BI8U0P8   APPOINTED   BY   THE   CBOWN-BETBOSPKCXr 

of'^h!  A'l*"^  .'"'"""  '^"'^  ^"'^^'^r  be  considered  a.  the  Act 

chiefs  wi  hheld  their  concurrence.  With  these,  therefore.  Saint 
Leger  entered  nito  separate  treaties,  by  separate  instruments 
agreed  upon,  at  various  dates,  during  the  years  Ui2  and  ist! 
Manus  O'Donnell,  lord  of  Tyrconnell,  gave  in  his  adhesion  in 
August  1641.  Con  O'Neil,  lord  of  Tyrowen.  Murrogh  O'Brln 
ord  o  Thomond.  Art  O'Moore.  lord  of  Leix,  and  ufick  Burke' 
lord  of  Clanrickarde.  1642  and  1643 ;  hut  during  trdgno/ 

tl  er!f!r?  '^'  ".     .     '"''  ""^  ^"^'  engagement.    The  election, 
therefore,  .vas  far  from  unanimous,  and  Henry  Vlllth  would 
perhaps  be  classed  by  our  ancient    SenachTes   among   the 
du":rthr:ii7dL^^^^^    -^^  ^--  -  --  ^^  our  Inlt 
Assuming,  however,  the  title  conferred  upon  him  with  no 
little  complacency.  Henry  proceeded  to  exercise  the  fir  t  prT 
VI lege  Of   a    sovereign,  the    creation  of  honors.      Mu Logh 
OBrien   chief  of  his  name,  became  Earl  of  ThomonS   anS 
Donough,  his  nephew.  Baron  of  Ibrackan;  Ulick  McWi  Ham 
Burke  became  Earl  of  Clanrickarde  and  Baron  of  Dunkelli^" 
Hugh  0  Donnell  was  made  Earl  of  Tyrconnell.  Fitzpatrick  be 
came  Baron  of  Ossory.  and  Kavnnagh.  Baron  of  Ballyan ;  Con 
0  Neil  was  made  Earl  of  Tyrone,  having  asked,  and  been  re"  . 
fused,  the  higher  title  of  Earl  of  Ulster.    The  order  of  KnTgl  I 

^eacwT  "'  '"  """^  ^'  *'^  ^"-'P'^^  attendants,  and 
Dutlin  f  r  "'"  ^''"^  '''  ^"^  «^^"*«<^  '^  ^«"««  -  or  near 
Of  Pa^li^^^^^^^^^^^^^    accommodation,  when  attending  the  sitting. 

31 


1 1 


»■ 


^ili 


■'■ .'  -  >> 


»,.  ^1 1 


IA2 


POPtJLAR   HISTORY    OF   IRBLiNU. 


:i:a 


The  imposing  ceremonial  of  the  transformation  of  these 
Celtic  chiefs  into  English  Earls  has  been  very  minutely  de- 
scribed   by   an    eye-witness.     One    batch   were    made    at 
Greenwich  Palace,  after  High  Mass  on  Sunday,  the  1st  of 
July,  1543.     The   Queen's  closet  "was  richly  hanged  with 
cloth  of  arras  and  well  strawed  with  rushes,"  for  their  robing 
room.    The  King  received  them  und^r  a  canopy  of  state, 
surrounded  by  his  Privy  Council,  the  peers,  spiritual  and 
temporal,  the  Earl  of  Glencairn,  Sir  George  Douglas,  and  the 
other  Scottish  Commissioners.-  The  Earls  of  Derby  and  Or- 
mond  led  m  the  new  Earl  of  Thomond,  Viscount  Lisle,  carry- 
ing before  them  the  sword.     The  Chaiaberlain  handed  his 
letters  patent  to  the  Secretary  who  read  them  down  to  the 
words  Cinciuram  gladii,  when  the  King  girt  the  Irneeling 
Earl,  baldrick-wise,  with  the  sword,  all  the  company  standing. 
A  similar  ceremony  was  gone  through  with  the  others,  the 
King  throwing  a  gold  chain  having  a  cross  hanging  to  it  round 
each  of  their  necks.    Then,  preceded  by  the  trumpeters  blew- 
ing,  and  the  officers  at  arms,  they  entered  the  dining-hall, 
where,  after  the  second  course,  their  titles  were  proclaimed 
aloud  in  Norman-Prench  by  Garter,  King  at  Arms.    Nor  did 
Henry,  who  prided  himself  on  his  munificence,  omit  even  more 
substantial  tokens  of  his  favor  to  the  nevf  Peers.    Besides  the 
town  houses  near  Dublin,  before  mv3ntioned,  he  granted   to 
O'Brien  all  the  abbeys  and  benefices  of  Thomond,  bishoprics 
excepted ;  to  Mc William  Burke,  all  the  parsonages  and  vicar- 
ages of  Clanrickarde,  with  one-third  of  the  first-fruits,  the  Abbey 
of  Via  Nova,  and  £30  a  year  compensation  for  the  loss  of  the 
customs  of  Galway;  to  Donogh  O'Brieu,  the  Abbey  of  Ellene- 
grane,  the  moiety  of  the  Abbey  of  Clare,  and  an  annuity  of 
X?0  a  year.    To  the  new  lord  of  Ossory  he  granted  th-e  monas- 
teries of  Aghadoe  and  Aghmacarte,  with  the  right  of  holding 
court  lete  and  market,  every  Thursday,  at  his  town  of  Agha- 
doe.   I'oi  these  and  other  favors  the  recipients  had  been  in- 
structed to  petition  the  King,  and  drafts  of  such  petitions  had 
been  drawn  up  in  anticipation  of  their  arrival  in  England  by 
some  official  hand.    The  petitions  are  quoted  by  most  of  our 
lato  historians  as  their  own  proper  act,  but  it  i»  quite  clear. 


l!ii 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND.  S6S 

iui  gelling,  as  O'Brien  had  answ#>rAri  Hf    t        .    « 
overtures  three  >  ears  before  "  n1  Vi,       ,  v         ^^^'^  ^"' 
his  nation  he  was  still  '10";  man     ^7^    ''  ""^  ^^^^^-^'^  ^^ 
for  their  lands  certainlv  .         ?  .  '    ^  '"'"»  °^*  '"^^^l  Patents 

By  the  Brehon  law  every  member  of  a  f^o   1 

the  tribeand  the  chTef  '""'"V'^Ser  without  the  consent  of 
arrangement  held  by  a  nZ^T"'"'  "°"""«  '"  »"""  «»<"•  -» 
the  ttoe  of  tiree  wi  r. '    ""T'  5"' '' ""  "»"■■'«'>  ''"ring 

ho  was  obliged  to  10"™-,!!  1,  .  "'™  ""'  *■"»  «»  '""« 

the  ohurchTr  1  eh  f  All'tlTf  "'°'"  "--»'edly  .^ 

centur,,  ,a™  which  pa~a;,;'f^L7pS't  of  l""'  ^^'"' 
patriarchal  justice,  but  which,  inl^of  ^vem  ^  tX""' 

H,  »•  maj  be  assured,  many  minds  to  whom  this  truth 


ii!!! 


I 


mi 


m 


m 


■    ! 


Ill 


:ii' 


'H 

'  ':' 

B 

\ 

1 

1 

M 

164 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


Kras  apparent  so  early  as  the  age  of  Henry  Vlllth.    And  it  may 
Dot  be  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  one  of  the  advantagei 
which  the  chief  found  in  exchan;?ing  his  partriarchal  position 
for  a  feudal  Earldom  would  be  the  greater  degree  of  independ- 
ence  on  the  will  of  the  tribe,  which  the  new  system  conferred 
on  him.    With  the  mass  of  the  clansmen,  however,  for  the  very 
same  reason  the  change  was  certain  to  bo  unpopular,  if  not 
odious.    But  a  still  more  serious  change— a  change  of  religion 
—was  evidently  contemplated  by  those  Earls  who  accepted  the 
property  of  the  confiscated  religious  houses.    The  receiver  of 
such  estates  could  hardly  pretend  to  belong  to  the  ancient  reli- 
gion of  the  country. 

It  is  impossible  to  understand  Irish  history  from  the  reign 
of  Henry  VIII.  till  the  fall  of  James  Il.-nearly  two  hundred 
years-without  constantly  keeping  in  mind  the  dilemma  of  the 
chiefs  and  Iprds  between  the  requirements  of  the  English  Court 
on  one  hand  and  of  the  native  clans  on  the  other.    Expected 
to  obey  and  to  administer  conflicting  laws,  to  personate  two 
characters,  to  speak  two  languages,  to  uphold  the  old,  yet  to 
patronize  the  new  order  of  things,  distrusted  at  Court  if  they 
indined  to  the  people,  detested  by  the  people  if  they  leaned 
towards  the  Court-a  more  difHcult  situation  can  hardly  be 
conceived.    Their  perilous  circumstances  brought  forth  a  new 
Bpecies  of  Irish  character  in  the  Chieftain-Earls  of  the  Tudor 
and  Stuart  times.    Not  less  given  lo  war  than  their  forefathers 
they  were  now  compelled  to  study  the  politician's  part,  even 
more  than  the  soldier's.    Brought  personally  in  contact  with 
powerful  Sovereigns,  or  pitted  at  home  against  the  Sydneys 
Mountjoys,  Chichesters,  and  Straffords,  the  lessons  of  Bacon  and 
Machiavelli  found  apt  scholars  in  the  halls  of  Dunmnnway  and 
Dungannon.    The  multitude,  in  the  meanwhile,  saw  only  the 
broad  fact  t^at  the  Chief  had  bowed  his  neck  to  the  hated 
Saxon  yoke,  and  had   promised,  or  would   be  by  and   bv 
compelled,  to  introduce  foreign  garrisons,  foreign  judges  and 
foreign  laws,  amongst  the  sons  of  the  Gael.    Very  eariy'they 
perceived  this;  on  the  adhesion  of  O'Donnell  to  the  Act  of 
Election,  a  part  of  his  clansmen,  under  tha  lead  of  his  own 
■on,  rose  up  against  his.  authority.    A  riral  Mc William,  was  at 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


365 


0  Ne  1,  the  first  of  h,s  race  who  had  accepted  an  English  titl« 
was  imprisoned  by  his  son,  John  the  Proud,  and  td  If 
gnef  dunnghis  confinement.  O'Brien  found  on  his  return 
from  Greenwich,  half  his  territory  in  revolt ;  a^d  this  wis  the 

poTe"  fTr"""/'^"  ^^"^^'«  ^'«^'--  ^otsuchw"  he 
power  of  the  new  Sovereign  that,  we  are  told  in  our  Annals  at 
he  year  1547-the  year  of  Henry's  death-"  no  one  da^e^give 
food  or  protection"  to  those  few  patriotic  chiefs  who  still  h^ 
obstmately  out  against  the  election  of  1541 

The  creation  of  a  new  peerage  coincided  in  point  of  time 
with  the  first  unconditional  nomination  of  new  Bishops  by  "e 
Crown.    The  Plantagenet  Kings,  in  common  with  aU  fe'L^al 
Pnnces.  had  always  claimed  the  right  of  investing  Bishops  ^th 
heir  temporalities  and  legal  dignities;  while,  atlhe same  tfrne 
they  recogmzed  in  the  See  of  Rome  the  seat  and  centrTof 
Apos  tohc  authority.    But  Henry,  excommunicated  and   nj 
ngible.had   procured  from   the  Parliament  of  "the  Pal!" 
«jree  years  before  the  Act  of  Election,  the  formal  reco^nufon 
of  his  spiritual  supremacy,  under  which  he  proceeded  afoften 
as  he  had  an  opportunity,  to  promote  candidates  for  the  e^^c^ 
pacy  to  vacant  sees.     Between  1537  and  1547.  thirteen  o^ 
fourteen  such  vacancies  having  occurred,  he  nom.'nated  to  the 
succession  whenever  the  diocese  was  actually  within  his  power. 
In  this  way  l^e  Sees  of  Dublin.  Kildare.  Ferns,  Ardagh.Emly 
Tuam  and  Killaloe  were  filled  up ;  while  the  vacancies  which  o^ 
curred  about  the  same  period  in  Armagh.  Clogher,  Clonmacnoise. 
Clonfert.  Jilmore,  and  Down  and  Connor  were  supplied  from 
Rome     Many  of  the  latter  were  allowed  to  take  possession  of 
their  emporalit:os-so  far  as  they  were  within  Englisn  power- 
by  takmg  an   oath  of  allegkvnce.  specially  drawn  for  them 
Others,  when  prevented  from   so  doing  by  the  penalties  ol 
pr^mumre,  delegated  their  authority  to  Vicars  General  who 
contrived  to  elude  the  provisions  of  the  statute.    On  the  other 
hand,  several  of  the  King's  Bishops,  excluded  by  popular  hos. 
tihty  from  the  nominal  sees,  never  reside.!  upon  them;  some 
of  them  spent  their  lives  in  Dublin,  and  others  werg  enter- 
tained as  suffragans  by  Bishops  in  England. 


i  il 


I 


S66 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


In  March,  1543.  Primate  Cromer,  who  had  so  reaolutely  led  the 
early  opposition  to  Archbishop  Browne,  died,  whereupon  Pope 
Paul   III.  appointed  Robert  Waucop,  a  Scotsman  (by  s  ,me 
wnters  called   Venuntius),  to  the  See  of  Armagh.    This  re- 
markable  man,  though  afflicted  with  bhndness  from  his  youth 
upvyards,  was  a  doctor  of  the  Sorbonne,  and  one  of  the  most 
distmguished  Prelates  of  his  age.      He  introduced    the  first 
Jesuit  Fathers  into  Ireland,  and  to  him  :b  attributed  the  estab- 
lishment of  that  intimate  intercourse  between  the  Ulster  Princea 
and  the  See  of  Rome,  which  characterized  the  latter  half  of  the 
century.    He  assisted  at  the  Council  of  Trent  from  1545  to  1547 
was  subsequently  employed  as  Legate  in  Germany,  and  died 
abroad  during  the  reign  of  Edward  Vlth.    Simultaneously  vnth 
the  appointment  of  Primate  Waucop,  Henry  Vlllth  had  nomi- 
nated  to  the  same  dignity  George  Dowdal,  a  native  of  Louth 
formerly  Prior  of  the  crutched  friai-s  at  Ardee,  in  that  county! 
Though  Dowdal  accepted  the  nomination,  he  did  so  without 
acknowledging  the  King's  supremacy  in  spirituals.    On  the 
contrary  he  remained  attached  to  the  Holy  Soe,  and  held 
his  claims  in  abeyance,  <luring  the  lifetime  of  Waucop     On  the 
death  of  the  latter,  he  assumed  his  rank,  but  was  obliged  to  fly 
mto  exile,  during  the  reign  of  Edward.    On  the  accession  of 
Mary  he  was  recalled  from  his  place  of  banishment  in  Brabant, 
and  his  first  official  act  on  returning  home  was  to  proclaim  a 
Jubilee  for  the  public  restoration  of  the  Catholic  worship 

The  King's  Bishops  during  the  last  years  of  Henry,  and  the 
bnof  reign  of  Edward,  were,  besides  Browne  of  Dublin  Edward 
Staples,  Bishop  of  Meath,  Matthew  Saunders  and  Robert  Tra- 
vers,  successively  Bishops  of  Leighlin,  William  Miagh  and  Tho. 
mas  Lancaster,  successively  Bishops  of  Kildare,  and  John  Balp 
Bishop  of  Ossory-all  Englishmen.    The  only  native  names  be! 
fore  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  which  we  find  associated  in  any 
sense  with  the  "reformation,"  are  John  Coyn,  or  Quin,  Bishop 
of  Limenok,  and  Dominick  Tirrey,  Bishop  of  Cork  and  Cloyne 
Dr.  Quin  was  promoted  to  the  See  in  1522,  and  resigned  his* 
charge  in  the  year  1551.     He  is  called  a  "  favorer"  of  the  new 
doctrines,  but  it  is  not  stated  how  far  he  went  in  their  support. 
His  successor,  Dr.  William  Casey,  Avas  one  of  the  six  Bishops 


!), 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


367 


aepnved  by  Queen  Mary  on  her  accession  to  the  throne.    As 
B.8hop  T,rroy  is  not  of  the  number-although  he  lived  till  the 
h,rd  year  of  Mary's  reign-we  may  conclude  that  he  became 
reconciled  to  the  Holy  See. 

The  native  population  became,  before  Henry's  death,  fullr 
aroused  to  the  nature  of  the  new  doctrines,  to  which  ^t  flrsi 

TZ  ?  A  ^It  r  ""''  ^"'""""-  '^^«  Commission  issued  in 
1539  to  Archbishop  Browne  and  others  for  the  destruction  o^ 
images  and  relics  and  the  pretention  of  pilgrimages,  aa  well  as 
he  ordenn,  of  English  prayers  us  a  substitute  for  the  Mas^ 
brought  home  to  all  minds  the  sweeping  character  of  the 
change     Our  nafve  Annals  record  the  breaking  out  of  thl 

TuSlll  LtT  /T  '""^  ^"^ '''''  ^^^'^^"^  ^^  '--^  -t?o! 

from  ?>  1"'^/''^^°^  "^^y-  P^'-^^P^.  be  more  accurately  dated 
from  the  issunig  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Commission  of  1639     In 

and  luT"  JndT  *«'\'^^«P""=  o^  "P"^''.  vain-glory,  avarice, 
makl  '  /  '  f ''  "manifestations  were  well  calculated  t<; 
make  it  forever  odious  on  Irish  soil.  "They  destroyed  th« 
religious  orders,"  exclaim  the  Four  Maste^T  'Cy  brokl 

Aran  of  the  Saints  to  the  Iccian  Sea !"     "  They  burned  the 

been  •     ^^^^^  "'  ''""'  '^"'  ^'^  '*^«^«^  J^^'  -^^ch  had 

that  Von.  "'  ''  "^''"'^  '"    '•^^'^  "^^«  ^^«  ^-^^«  of 

t  at  Commission  as  seen  by  the  eyes  of  Catholics,  natives  of 

the  soil.    The  Commissioners  themselves,  however,  gloried  in 
TliT'Tnm  '  "'.r^'^'  "^^'  complacency  to  their' success" 

da  hed  to  pieces ;  the  ornaments  of  shrines  and  altars,  when 
not  secreted  in  time,  were  torn  from  their  places,  and  Leaten 
into  shapeless  masses  of  metal.  This  harvest  yi;ided  in te 
first  year  nearly  £3,000,  on  an  inventory,  wherein  we  find  l,OoJ 
ed  ::tl     ::i'  --^-^--^  -to  candies  and  tape.,  'vaK 

IhtTnf^;  M  """'  '^"  '"'"'■"  "^"^"  *^  "^«  '•avenue  ;  what 

11     of  the  spoil  was  appropriated  by  the  agents  employed 
may  never  be  known.    T  v^ould  be  absurd,  however,  to  expect 

^f  Zm      T  TTi  '"  '-'"'^'^  '"  "^^^  «"S^g«d  i"  the  work 
•f  sacrilege !    And  this  work,  it  must  be  added,  was  carried  on 


Pi 

m 


368 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


in  the  face  of  the  stipulation  entered  into  with  the  Paih'ament 
of  1541,  that  «'  the  Church  of  Ireland  shall  be  free,  and  ernoy 
all  its  accustomed  privileges." 

Tlie  death  of  Henry  in  January,  1547.  found  the  Reformaflwi 
in  Ireland  at  the  stage  just  described  But  though  all  attempts 
to  diffuse  a  general  recognition  of  his  spiritual  power  had 
lailea,  his  reign  will  ever  be  memorable  as  the  epoch  of  the 
onion  of  the  English  and  Irish  Crowns.  Before  closing  the 
present  Book  of  our  History,  in  which  we  have  endeavored  to 
account  for  that  great  fact,  and  to  trace  the  progress  of  the 
negotiations  which  led  to  its  accomplishment,  we  must  briefly 
review  the  relations  existing  between  the  Kings  of  England 
and  the  Irish  nation,  from  Henry  II.  to  Henry  VIII. 

If  we  are  to  receive  a  statement  of  considerable  antiquity  a 
memorable  compromise  effected  at  the  Council  of  Constance 
between  the  ambassadors  of  France  and  England,  as  to  who 
should  take  precedence,  turned  mainly  on  this   very  point. 
The  French  monarchy  was  then  at  its  lowest,  the  English  at  its 
highest  pitch,  for  Charles  VI.  was  but  a  nominal  sovereign  of 
France,  while  the  conqueror  of  Azincourt  sat  on  the  throne  of 
England.     Yet  in  the  first  assembly  of  the  Prelates  and  Princes 
of  Europe,  we  are  told  that  the  ambassadors  of  France  raised 
a  question  of  the  right  of  the  English  envoys  to  be  received  as 
representing  a  nation,  seeing  that  they  had  been  conquered 
not  only  by  the  Romans,  but  by  the  Saxons.    Their  argument 
further  was,  that,  "as  the  Saxons  were  tributaries  to  the  Ger- 
man Empire,  and  never  governed  by  native  sovereigns,  they 
[the  English]  should  take  place  as  a  branch  only  of  the  Ger- 
man  empire,  and  not  as  a  free  nation.    For,"  argued  the 
French,  "  it  is  evident  from  Albertus  Magnus  and  Bartholomew 
Glanville,  that  the  world  ]z  divided  into  three  parts,  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa ;— that  Europe  is  divided  into  four  empires' 
the  Roman,  Constantinopolitan,  the  Irish,  and  the   Spanish." 
"  The  English  advocates,"  we  are  told,  "admitting  the  force  of 
these  allegations,   claimed   their  precedency  and  rank  from 
Henry's  being  monarch  of  Ireland,  and  it  was  accordinelv 
granted."       •  ^ ' 

If  this  often-told  anecdote  is  of  any  historical  value,  it  only 
shows  the  ignorance  of  the  representatives  of  France  in  yield. 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


soo 


a 


^lg  their  pretensions  on  so  poor  a  quibble.  Neither  Uenry 
Vth,  nor  any  other  English  sovereign  before  him,  had  laid 
claim  to  the  title  of  "  Monarch  of  Ireland."  The  indolence  or 
Ignorance  of  modern  writers  has  led  them,  it  is  true,  to  adopt 
he  whole  series  of  the  Plantagenet  Kings  as  sovereigns  of  Ire 
land-to  set  up  in  history  a  dynasty  which  never  existed  for 
us;  o  leave  out  of  their  accounts  of  a  monarchical  people  all 
question  of  their  crown ;  and  to  pass  over  the  election  of  1641 
without  adequate, or  any  inquiry. 

It  is  certain  that  neither  Henry  II..  „or  Richard  I.,  ever 
used  in  any  written  instrument,  or  graven  sign,  the  style  of 
king,  or  even  lord  of  Ireland ;  though  in  the  Parliament  held  at 
Oxford  ,n  he  year  1185.  Henry  conferred  on  his  youngest  son. 
John  lack-land  a  title  which  he  did  not  himself  possess,  and 
John  IS  thenceforth  known  in  English  history  as  "  Lord  J  Ire- 
land.      This  honor  was  not,  however,  of  the  exclusive  nature 
of  sovereignty,  else  John  could  hardly  have  borne  it  during 
he  lifetime  of  his  father  and  brother.    And  although  we  reai 
hat  Cardinal  Octavian  was  sent  into  England  by  Pope  Urban 
III.,  authorized  to  consecrate  John,  King  of  Ireland,  no  such 
consecration  took  place,  nor  was  the  lordship  looked  upon  at 
any  period,  as  other  than  a  creation  of  the  royal  power'  of 
England  existing  in  Ireland,  which  could  be  recalled,  trans- 
fer-ed,  or  alienated,  without  detriment  to  the  prerogative  of 
the  King. 

Neither  had  this  original  view  of  the  relations  existing 
between  England  and  Ireland  undergone  any  change  at  the 
time  of  the  Council  of  Constance.    Of  this  we  have  a  curious 
illustration  in  the  style  employed  by  the  <lueen  Dowager  of 
Henry  Vth,  who,  during  the  minority  of  her  son,  granted  char- 
ters,  as  "  Queen  of  England  and  France,  and  lady  of  Ireland  " 
The  use  of  different  crowns  in  the  coronations  of  all  the  Tudors 
subsequent  to  Henry  Vlllth  shows  plainly  how  the  recent  origin 
of  their  secondary  title  was  understood  and  acknowledged 
during  the  remainder  of  the  XVIth  century.    Nothing  of  the 
kind  was  practised  at  the  coronation  of  the  Plantagenet  Princes 
nor  were  the  arms  of  Ireland  quartered  with  those  of  Entriand 
previous  to  the  period  we  have  described—the  memorabli 
year,  1541. 


m 


r-'U 


m 


370 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAinDk. 


BOOK    VIII. 

THE    ERA    OF   THE    REFORMATION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

EVENTS   OP   THE   REIoy    OP  EDWARD    SIXTH. 

On  the  last  day  of  January,  1547,  Edward,  son  of  Henry,  by 
^ady  Jane  Seymour,  was  crowned  by  the  title  of  Edward  Vlth. 
He  was  then  only  nine  years  old,  and  was  destined  to  wear  the 
crown  but  for  six  years  and  a  few  months."  No  Irish  Parlia- 
ment  was  convened  during  his  reign,  but  the  Reformation  was 
pushed  on  w.th  great  vigor,  at  first  under  the  patronage  of  the 

12T'k  T"':'  r '  «"^««^--«y  Of  that  uncles  rival,  the 
feal  If  ^^^^'^""^^^rl^nd.  Archbishop  Cranmer  suffered  the 
«eal  of  neither  of  these  statesmen  to  flag  for  want  of  stimulus, 
and  the  Lord  Deputy  Saint  Leger,  judging  from  the  cause  of 
his  disgrace  m  the  next  reign,  approved  himself  a  willing 
assistant  in  the  work.  ^""ug 

The  Irish  Privy  Council,  which  exercised  all  the  powers  of 
government  during  this  short  reign,  was  composed  exclusively 
Of  partisans  of  the  Reformation.    Besides  Archbishop  Browne 
and  Staples,  Bishop  of  Meath,  its  members  were  the  Chancellor. 

^fdlA  1  r ''^'''''''  ^''"^"'°^^'  ^^^^  E»g"«h,  with  the 
Judges  Aylmer,  Luttrel,  Bath,  Cusack,  and  Howth-all  prose- 

0^2.T  T  .'"!  ''™'  *"  *^'  '''''  ^P'"^«^«-  The  Earl  of 
Ormond,  with  sixteen  of  his  household,  having  been  poisoned 
at  a  banquet  in  Ely  House.  London,  in  Octobe?  before  Hen^l 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  271 

death,  the  influence  of  that  great  house  was  wielded  during 
the  mmonty  of  his  successor  by  Sir  Francis  Bryan,  an  English 
adventurer,  who  married  the  widowed  countess.  This  lady 
bemg,  moreover,  daughter  and  heir  general  to  James,  Earl  of 
Desmond,  brought  Bryan  powerful  connexions  in  the  South 
which  he  was  not  slow  to  turn  to  a  politic  account.  His  ambi' 
tion  aimed  at  nothing  less  than  the  supreme  authority,  military 
andcml;  but  when  at  length  he  attained  the  summit  of  hia 
hopes,  he  on,y  lived  to  enjoy  them  a  few  months. 

To  enable  the  Deputy  and  Council  to  carry  out  the  work 
they  had  begun,  an  additional  military  force  was'  felt  to  be 
necessary,  and  Sir  Edward  Bellingham  was  sent  over,  soon 
after  Edward  s  accession,  with  a  detachment  of  six  hundred 

ir^'K  '"'«,^""'^'''^  ^^"^'  '"^  *^«  ""«  «f  <^'^Pt«in  General. 
This  able  officer,  in  conjunction  with  Sir  Francis  Bryan    who 

appears  to  have  been  everywhere,  overran  Offally,  Leix    Ely 
and  Westmeath,  sending  the  chiefs  of  the  two  former  districts 
as  prisoners  to  London,  and  making  advantageous  terms  with 
those  of  the  latter.     He  was,  however,  supplanted  in  the  thiM 
year  of  Edward  by  Bryan,  who  held  successively  the  rank  of 
Marshal  of  Ireland  and  Lord  Deputy.     To  the  latter  office  he 
was  chosen  on  an  emergency,  by  the  Counc'J,  in  December, 
lo49.  but  died  at  Clonmel,  on  an  expedition  against  the  O'Car- 
tols,  m  the  following  February.     His  successes  and  those  of 
Bellingham  hastened  the  reduction  of  Leix  and  Offally  into 
Bhire  ground  in  the  following  reign. 

The  total  military  force  at  the  disposal  of  Edward's  com- 
manders  was  probably  never  less  than  10,000  effective  men 
By  the  aid  of  their  abundant  artillery,  they  were  enabled  to 
take  many  strong  places  hitherto  deemed   impregnable  to 
assault.    The  mounted  men  and  infantry  were,  as  yet   but 
partially  armed  with  musquetons,  or  firelocks-^for  the  spear 
and  the  bow  still  found  advocates  among  military  men.    The 
Bpearmen  or  lances  were  chiefly  recruited  on  the  marches  of 
Northumberland  from  the  hardy  race  of  border  warriors:  the 
mounted  bowmen  or  hobiUers  were  generally  natives  of  Ches- 
ter or  North  Wales.    Between  these  ^newcomers  and  the  native 
Anglo-Irish  troops  many  contentions  arose  from  time  to  time 


872 


POPULAR    HI8T0RT    OF   IRELAND. 


but  m  the  piesence  of  the  common  foe  these  bickerings  wer« 
compietoly  for^'otten.    The  townHmen  of  Waterford  marched 
promptly  at  a  call,  under  their  standard  of  the  three  galleys 
and  those  of  Dubli:,  as  cheerfully  turned  out  under  tiieir  well-' 
known  banner,  decorated  with  three  flaming  towers. 

The  personnel  of  the  administration,  in   fhe  six  years  of 
Edward,  was    continually    undergoing    change.    Bellingham 
who  succeeded  St.  Leger,  was  supplanted  by  Bryan,  on  whose 
aeath  Bt.  Leger  was  reappointed.    After  another  year  Sir 
James  Croft  wns  sent  over  to  replace  St.  Leger,  and  cont!nne4 
to  fill  the  office  until  the  accession  of  Queen  Mary.    But  who- 
ever rose  or  fell  to  the  first  rank  in  civil  affairs,  the  Privy 
Council  remained  exclusively  Protestant,  and  the  work  of 
innovation    was  not    suffered    to    languish.      A    manuscript 
account,  attributed  to  Adam  Loftus,  Browne's  successor,  assigns 
the  year  1549  as  the  date  when  "  the  Mass  was  put  down,"  in 
IJublm,    and  divine  service  was  celebrated  in  English."   Bishop 
Mant,  the  historian  of  the  Established  Church  in  Ireland,  does 
not  find  any  account  of  such  an  alteration,  nor  does  the  state- 
ment  appear  to  him  consistent  with  subsequent  facts  of  this  reign„ 
We  observe,  also,  that  in  1550,  Arthur  Magennis,  the  Pope's 
Bishop  of  Dromore,  was  allowed  by  the  government  to  enter 
on  possession  of  his  temporalities  after  taking  an  oath  of  alle- 
giance, while  King  s  Bishops  were  appointed  in  that  and  the 
next  two  years  to  the  vacant  sees  of  Kildare,  Leighlin,  Ossory. 
and  Limerick     A  vacancy  having  occurred  in  the  See  of 
Cashel,  in  1551,  it  was  unaccountably  left  vacant,  as  far  as  the 
Crown  was  concerned,  during  the  remainder  of  this  reign, 
while  a  similar  vacancy  in  Armagh  was  filled,  at  least  in  name 

Bishop  of  Winchester,  and  a  favorite  preacher  with  the  Prin- 
cess  Elizabeth.  This  Prelate  was  consecrated,  according  to 
a  new  form,  in  Christ  Church,  Dublin,  on  2d  of  February,  1523 
together  with  his  countryman,  John  Bale,  Bishop  of  Ossory! 
The  officiating  Prelates  were  Browne,  Staples,  and  Lancaster 
of  Kildare-all  English.  The  Irish  Establishment,  however 
does  not  at  all  times  rest  its  argument  for  the  validity  of  ita' 
episcopal  Order  upon  these  consecrfttions.     Most   of  their 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF    IRKLAND. 


878 


wHtew  lay  claim  to  the  Apostolic  succession,  through  Adam 
Loftns,  consecrated  in  England,  according  to  the  ancient 
rite,  by  Hugh  Curwen,  an  Arcl.bishop  in  communion  with  the 
See  of  Rome,  at  the  time  of  his  elevation  to  the  episcopacy. 

In   February,   1551,  Sir  Anthony  St.  Leger  received  the 

Kmo's  commands  to  cause  the  Scriptures  translated  into  the 

English  tongue,  and  the  Liturgy  and  Prayers  of  the  Church, 

fclso  translated  mto  English,  to  be  read  In  all  the  churches  of 

Ireland.      To  render  these  Instructions  effective  the  Deputy 

•ummoned  a  convocation  of  the  Archbishops,  Bishops,  and 

Clergy,  to  meet  in  Dublin  on  the  1st  of  March,  1651.    In  this 

meeting— the  first  of  two  in  which  the  defenders  of  the  old 

and  of   the  new  religion    met    face  to    face— the  Catholic 

party  was  led  by  the  Intrepid  Dowdal,  Archbishop  of  Armagh, 

and  the  Reformers  by  Archbishop  Browne.    The  Deputy  who, 

like  most  laymen  of  that  age,  had  a  strong  theological  turn[ 

also,  took  an  active  part  in  the  discussion.    Finally  delivering 

the  royal  order  to  Browne,  the  latter  accepted  it  in  a  set  form 

of  words,  without   reservation;    the  Anglican    Bishops    of 

Meath,  Kildare,  and  Leighlln,  and  Coyne,  Bishop  of  Limerick, 

adhering  to  his  act ;  Primate  Dowdal,  with  the  other  Bishops', 

having  previously  retired  from  the  Conference.    On  Easter 

day  following,  the  English  service  was  celebrated  for  the  first 

time  in  Christ  Church,  Dublin,  the  Deputy,  the  Archbishop,  and 

the  Mayor  of  the  city  assisting.    Browne  preached  from  the 

text :  "  Open  mine  eyes  that  I  may  see  the  wonders  of  the  law" 

—a  sermon  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  fierce  invective  against 

the  new  Order  of  Jesuits.  « 

Primate  Dowdal  retired  from  the  Castle  Conference  to 
Saint  Mary's  Abbey,  on  the  north  side  of  the  LIffey,  where  he 
continued  while  these  things  were  taking  place  iL  the  city 
proper.  The  now  Lord  Deputy,  Sir  James  Crofts,  on  his  arri- 
Tal  in  May,  addressed  himself  to  the  Primate,  to  bring  about, 
if  possible,  an  accommodation  between  the  Prelates.  Fearing, 
as  he  said,  an  "  order  ere  long  to  alter  church  matters,  as  well 
In  offices  as  in  ceremonies,"  the  new  Deputy  urged  another 
Conference,  which  was  accordingly  held  at  the  Primate's 
lodgings,  on  the  16th  of  June.  At  this  meeting  Browne  dow 
32 


.;  n 


il 


( 

I 

I 


374 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


not  Bjem  to  have  boon  present,  tl>e  argument  on  the  ride  of 
the  Reformers  being  maintained  by  Staples.     The  points  dis, 
«.u..sed  were  chiefly  the  essential  character  of  the  Holy  Sacrifloe 
of  the  Mass,  and  the  Invocation  of  Saints.    The  tone  observed 
on  both  sides  was  full  of  high-bred  courtesy.     The  letter  of 
the  Sacred  Scriptures  and  the  authority  of  Erasmus  in  Church 
History  were  chiefly  relied   upon  by   Staples ;   the   common 
tonsent  and  usage  of  all  Christendom,  the  primacy  of  Saint 
Peter,  and  the  binding  nature  of  the  oath  taken  by  Bishops  at 
Mieir  consecration,  were  pointed  out  by  the  Primate.    The 
disputants  parted,  with  expressions  of  deep  regret  that  they 
could  come  to  no  agreement;  but  the  Primacy  was  soon  after- 
wards  transferred  to  Dublin,  by  order  of  the  Privy  Council 
and  Dowdal  fled  for  refuge  into  Brabant.    The  Roman  Catholic 
and  the  Anglican  Episcopacy  have  never  since  met  in  oral 
controversy  on  Irish  ground,  though  many  of  the  second  order 
of  the  clergy  in  both  communions  have,  from  time  to  time,  been 
permitted  by  their  superiors  to  engage  in  such  discussions. 

Whatever  obstacles  they  encountered   within   the   Church 
Itself,  the  propagation  of  the  new  religion  was  not  confined  to 
moral  means,  nor  was  the  spirit  of  opposition  at  all  times  res- 
tncted  to  mere  argument.    Bishop  Bale  having  begun  at  Kil- 
kenny to  pull  down  the  revered  images  of  the  Saints,  and  to 
overturn  the  Market  Cross,  was  set  upon  by  the  mob,  five  of 
his  servants,   or    guard,   were  slain,   and    himself   narrowly 
escaped  with  his  lifa  by  barricading  himself  in  his  palace. 
The  garrisons  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  ancient  seats  of 
ecclesiastical  power  and  munificence  were  authorized  to  plun- 
der their  sanctuaries  and  storehouses.     The  garrison  of  Down 
sacked  the  celebrated  shrines  and   tomb  of  Patrick,  Brid<'»  t 
and    Columbkill ;     the    garrison    of    farrickfergus'  ravaaed 
Rathlin  Island  and  attacked  Derry,  from  which,  however  •  ^^ 
were  repulsed  with  severe  loss  by  John  the  Proud.    But  the 
most  lamentable  scene  of  spoliation,  and  that  which  excited 
the  profoundest  emotions  of  pity  and  anger  in  the  public  mind 
was  the  violation  of  the  churches  of  St.  Kieran— the  renowned 
CIonmacRoiafn    This  city  of  schools  had  cast  its  cross-crowned 
•hade  upc    L.,   rentlo  current  of  the  Upper  Shannon  for  a 


POPCLAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


875 


thousand  years.  Danish  fury,  civil  storm,  and  Norman  hoHti- 
Yity  hud  I  ttHsed  over  it,  leaving  traces  of  their  power  in  th« 
midst  ot'  the  eviden  >i8  of  ItH  recuperation.  The  great  Church 
to  which  ,  ilfirims  flocked  from  every  tribe  of  Erin,  on  the  0th 
of  September— St.  Kieran's  Day ;  tlie  numerous  chapels 
erected  by  the  chiefs  of  all  the  neighboring  clans ;  the  halls, 
hospitals,  book-houses,  nunneries,  cemeteries,  granaries — all 
Rtill  stood,  awaiting  from  Christian  hands  the  last  fatal  blow, 
lu  the  neighboring  town  of  Athlone — seven  or  eight  miles  dis- 
tant— the  Treasurer,  Brabazon,  had  lately  erected  a  strong 
"  Court"  or  Castle,  from  which,  in  the  year  1552,  the  garrison 
sallied  forth  to  attack  "  the  place  of  the  sons  of  the  nobles,"— 
which  is  the  meaning  of  the  name.  In  executing  this  task 
they  exhibited  a  fury  surpassing  that  of  Turgesius  and  his 
Danes.  The  pictured  glass  was  torn  from  the  window  frames 
and  the  revered  images  from  their  niches ;  altars  were  over- 
thrown ;  sacred  vessels  polluted.  "  They  left  not,"  say  the 
Four  Masters,  "  a  book  or  a  gem, '  nor  anything  to  show  what 
Clonmacnoise  had  been,  save  the  bare  walls  of  the  temples, 
the  mighty  shaft  of  the  round  tower,  and  the  monuments  in 
the  cemeteries,  with  their  inscriptions  in  Irish,  in  Hebrew,  and 
in  Latin.  The  Shannon  re-echoed  with  their  profane  songs  and 
laughter,  as  laden  with  chalices  and  crucifixes,  brandishing 
croziers,  and  flaunting  vestments  in  the  air,  theiv  barges 
returned  to  the  walls  of  Athlone. 

In  all  the  Gaelic  speaking  regions  of  Ireland,  the  new  reli- 
gion now  began  to  be  known  by  those  fruits  which  it  had  so 
abundantly  produced.  Though  the  southern  and  midland 
districts  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the  exhaustion  consequent 
upon  the  suppression  of  the  Geraldine  league  and  the  abortive 
insurrection  of  Silken  Thomas,  the  northern  tribes  were  still  un- 
broken and  undismayed.  They  had  deputed  George  Paris,  a  kins- 
man of  the  Kildare  Fitzgeralds,  as  their  agent  to  the  French 
King,  in  the  latter  days  of  Henry  VIII.,  and  had  received  two 
ambnssadors  on  his  behalf  at  Donegal  and  Dungannon.  These 
ambassadors,  the  Baron  de  Forquevaux,  and  the  Sleur  de 
Montluc,  who  subsequently  became  Bishop  of  Valence,  cross- 
ing over  from  the  west  of  Scotland,  entered  into  a  league 


876 


POPULAR    HISTOftY   OF   IRELAND, 


offensive  and  defensive  with  "  the  princes"  of  Tyrconr.ell  an  i 
Tyro  wen,  by  which  the  latter  bound  themaelves  to  recognize  on 
certain  conditions,  "  whoever  was  King  of  France  a«  King  of 
Ireland  likewise."  This  alliance,  though  prolonged  into  the 
reign  of  Edward,  led  to  nothing  definitive,  and  we  shall  see  in 
the  next  reign  5iow  the  hopes  then  turned  towards  France  wera 
naturally  transferred  to  Spain. 

■  The  only  native  name  which  rises  into  historic  importance  at 
this  period  is  that  of  Shane,  or  John  O'Neil,  "the  Proud." 
He  waa  the  legitimate  son  of  thai  Con  G'Neil  who  had  been 
girt  with  the  Earl'a  baldric  by  the  bands  of  Henry  VIII.  His 
father  had  procured  at  the  same  time  for  an  illegitimate  son, 
Ferodach,  or  Math«w,  of  Dundalk,  the  title  of  Baron  of  Dun- 
gannon,  with  the  reversion  of  the  Earldom.  When,  however, 
John  the  Proud  came  of  age,  he  centered  upon  himself  the 
hopes  of  his  clansmen,  deposed  his  father,  subdued  th°  P-^ron 
and  assumed  the  title  of  O'Neil.  !n  1662  he  defeated  the 
efforts  of  Sir  William  Brabazon  to  fortify  Belfast,  and  delivered 
Derry  from  its  plunderers.  From  that  time  till  his  tragical 
death,  in  the  ninth  year  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  he  stood  unques- 
tionably the  first  man  of  his  race,  both  in  lineage  and  action. 


CHAPTER  II. 


BVENTS   OF   THB   RBIGN   OP  PHIl-IP  AND   UABT. 

Thb  death  of  Edward  VI.  and  the  accession  of  the  lady 
Marry  were  known  in  Dublin  by  the  middle  of  July,  1553,  and 
soo>  spread  all  over  the  kingdom.  On  the  20th  of  that  month, 
the  form  of  proclamation  was  received  from  London,  in  which 
the  new  Queen  was  forbidden  to  be  styled  "  head  of  the  church," 
and  this  was  <iuickly  follo«ved  by  another  ordinance,  author- 
izing aW  who  would  to  publicly  attend  Mass,  but  not  compel- 
ling thereto  any  who  were  unwilling.  A  curious  legal  difficulty 
existed  in  relation  to  Mary's  title  to  the  Crown  of  Ireland.    By 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAVS. 


8T7 


th«  Irish  Statute,  88.  Hen.  VIII,,  the  Irish  crown  was  entailed 
by  hame  on  the  Lady  Elizabeth,  and  that  act  had  not  been  re- 
pealed. It  was,  however,  held  to  have  been  superseded  by  the 
English  Statute,  35.  Hen.  VIII.,  which  followed  the  election  of 
1641,  and  declared  the  Crown  of  Ireland  "  united  and  knit  to 
the  Imperial  Crown  of  the  Realm  of  England."  Read  in  the 
light  of  the  latter  statute,  the  Irish  sovereignty  might  be  re- 
garded a  mere  appurtenance  of  that  of  England,  but  Mary  did 
not  so  consider  it.  At  her  coronation,  a  separate  crown  was 
used  for  Ireland,  nor  did  she  feel  assured  of  the  validity  of  her 
claim  to  wear  it  till  she  had  obtained  a  formal  dispensation  to 
that  effect  from  the  Pope. 

The  intelligence  of  the  new  Queen's  accession,  and  thepublio 
restoration  of  the  old  religion,  diffused  a  general  joy  through- 
out Ireland.  Festivals  and  pageants  were  held  in  the  streets, 
and  eloquent  sermons  poured  from  all  the  pulpits.  Archbishop 
Dowdal  was  called  from  exile,  and  the  Primacy  was  restored 
to  Armagh,  Sir  Anthony  St.  Leger,  his  ancient  antagonist, 
had  now  conformed  to  the  Court  fashion,  and  was  sent  over  to 
direct  the  establishment  of  that  religion  which  he  had  been 
so  many  years  engaged  in  pulling  down.  In  1654,  Browne, 
Staples,  Lancaster,  and  Travers,  were  formally  deprived  of  their 
sees ;  Bale  and  Casey  of  Limerick  fled  beyond  seas,  \yithout 
awaiting  judgment.  Married  clergymen  were  invariably  si- 
lenced, and  the  children  of  Browne  were  declared  by  statute 
illegitimate. 

What,  however,  gratified  the  public  even  more  than  these 
retributions  was  the  liberation  of  the  aged  Chief  of  Offally  from 
the  Tower  of  London,  at  the  earnest  supplication  of  his  heroic 
daughter,  Margaret,  who  found  her  way  to  the  Queen's  pre- 
sence to  beg  that  boon  ;  and  the  simultaneous  restoration  of 
the  Earldom  of  Kildare,  in  the  person  of  that  Gerald,  who  had 
been  so  young  a  fugitive  among  the  glens  of  Muskerry  and 
Donegal,  and  had  since  undergone  so  many  continental  adven- 
tures. With  O'Connor  and  young  Gerald,  the  heir  of  the  houses 
of  Ormond  and  of  Upper  Ossory  were  also  allowed  to  return 
to  their  homes  to  the  great  delight  of  the  southern  half  of  the 
kingdom.    The  subsequent  marriage  of  Mary  with  Philip  II, 


i      f  j 


i  < 


378 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


Of  Spain  gave  an  additional  security  to  the  Irish  Catholics  for 
the  future  freedom  of  their  religion. 

Great  as  was  the  change  in  this  respect,  it  is  not  to  be  in- 
ferred that  the  national  relations  of  Ireland  and  England  were 
materially  affected  by  such  a  change    of  sovereign.      The 
maxims  of  conquest  were  not  to  be  abandoned  at  the  dictates 
of  religion.    The  supreme  power  continued  to  be  entrusted 
only  to  Englishmen ;  whilo  the  same  Parliament  (3d  and  4th 
Philip  and  Mary)  which  abolished  the  title  of  head  of  the 
Church,  and  restored  the  Roman  jurisdiction  in  matters  spiri- 
tual,  divided  Leix  and  Offally,  Glenmalier  and  Slewmargy,  into 
Bhire  ground,  subject  to  English  law,  under  the  name  of  King's 
and  Queen's  County.     The  new  forts  of  Maryborough  and 
Phihpstown,  as  well  as  the  county  names  served  to  teach  the 
people  of  Leinster  that  the  work  of  conquest  could  be  as  Indus- 
tnously  prosecuted  by  Catholic  as  by  Protestant.rulers.  Nor  were 
these  forts  established  and  maintained  without  many  a  strugale 
St.  Leger,  and  his  still  abler  successor,  the  Eari  of  Sussex  Ind 
the  new  Lord  Treasurer,  Sir  Henry  Sidney,  were  forced  to  lead 
many  an  expedition  to  the  relief  of  those  garrisons,  and  the 
dispersion  of  their  assailants.    It  was  not  in  Irish  human  nature 
to  submit  to  the  constant  p  essure  of  a  foreign  power  without 
seizing  every  possible  opportunity  for  its  expulsion. 

The  new  principle  of  primogeniture  introduced  at  the  com- 
mutation of  chieftainries  into  earidoms  was  productive  in  this 
reign  of  much  commotion  and  bloodshed.    The  seniors  of  the 
O'Briens  resisted  its  establishment  in  Thomond,  on  the  death 
of  the  first  Eari;   Calvagh  O'Donnell  took  arms  against  his 
father,  to  defeat  its  introduction  into  Tyrconnell;  John  the 
Proud,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  reign  of  Edward,  had  been  one 
of  Its  eariiest  opponents  in  Ulster.    Being  accused  in  the  last 
year  of  Queen  Mary  of  procuring  the  death  of  his  illegitimate 
brother,  the  Baron  of  Dungannon,  in  order  to  remove  him  from 
his  path,  he  was  summoned  to  account  for  thase  circumstances 
before  Sir  Henry  Sidney,  then  acting  as  Lord  Justice.    His 
plea  has  been  preserved  to  us,  and  no  doubt  represente  the 
prevailing  opinion  of  the  Gaelic-speaking  population  toward? 
the  new  sysiem.    He  answered,  "  that  the  surrender  which  hii 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


379 


father  had  made  to  Henry  VIII.,  and  the  restoration  which 
flenry  made  to  his  father  again  were  of  no  force ;  inasmuch  aa 
his  father  had  no  right  to  the  lands  which  he  surrendered  to 
the  King,  except  during  his  own  life ;  that  he  (John)  himself 
was  the  O'Neil  hy  the  law  of  Tanistry,  and  hy  popular  election  ; 
and  that  he  assumed  no  superiority  over  the  chieftains  of  the 
North  except  what  belonged  to  his  ancestors."    To  these  views 
he  adhered  to  the  last,  accepting  no  English  honors,  though 
quite  willing  to  live  at  peace  with  English  sovereigns.    When 
the  title  of  Earl  of  Tyrone  was  revived,  it  was  in  favor  of  the 
son  of  the   Baron,  the  celebrated  Hugh  O'Neil,  the  ally  of 
Spain,  and  the  most  formidable  antagonist  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 
In  the  Irish  Parliament  already  referred  to  (3d  and  4th 
Philip  and  Mary)  an  act  was  passed  declaring  it  a  felony 
to  introduce   armed    Scotchmen    into  Ireland,  or  to  inter- 
marry with    them  without  a  license   under  the   great  seal. 
This  statute  was  directed  against  those  multitudes  of  Isles- 
men  and  Highlanders  who  annually  crv  jsed  the  narrow  strait 
which  separates  Antrim  from  Argyle  to  harass  the  English 
garrisons  alongshore,  or  to  enlist  as  auxiliaries  in  Irish  quar- 
rels.   In  1556,  under  one  of  their  principal  leaders,  James,  son 
of  Conal,  they  laid  siege  to  Carrickfergus  and  occupied  Lord 
Sussex  some  six  weeks  in  the  glens  of  Antrim.    Their  leader 
finally  entered  into  conditions,  the  nature  of  which  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  received  the  honor  of  knight- 
hood on  their  acceptance.     John  O'Neil  had  usually  in  his 
service  a  number  of  these  mercenary  troops,  from   among 
whcn»  he  selected  sixty  body-guards,  the  same  number  sup- 
pliea  by  his  own  clan.    In  his  first  attempt  to  subject  Tyrcon- 
nell  to  his  supremacy  in  1557,  his  camp  near  Raphoe  was 
surprised  at  night  by  Calvagh  O'Donnell,  and  his  native  and 
foreign  guards  were  put  to  the  sword,  while  he  himself  barely 
escaped  by  swimming  the  Mourne  and  the  Finn.    O'Donnell 
had  frequently  employed  a  similar  force,  in  his  own  defence  ; 
ai  d  we  read  of  the  Lord  of  Clanrickarde  driving  back  a  host 
of  them  engaged  in  the  service  of  his  rivals,  from  the  banks  of 
the  Moy,  in  1658. 
Although  the  memory  of  Queen  Mary  has  been  held  up  to 


6 


(  i  •. 


'•-I 


380 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


execration  during  three  centuries  as  a  bloody-minded  and 
malignant  persecutor  of  all  who  differed  from  her  in  religion,  it 
is  certain  that  in  Ireland,  where,  if  anywhere,  the  Protestant 
minority  might  have  been  extinguished  by  such  severities  as  are 
imputed  to  her,  no  persecution  for  conscience'  sake  took  place. 
Married   Bishops  were  deprived,   and  married  priests  were 
silenced,  but  beyond  this  no  coercion  was  employed.    It  has 
been  said  there  was  not  time  to  brin..?  the  machinery  to  bear, 
but  surely  if  there  was  time  to  do  so  in  England,  within  the 
space  of  five  years,  there  was  time  in  Ireland  also.    The  con- 
BoMng  truth— honorable  to  human  nature  and  to    Christian 
charity,  is— that  many  families  out  of  England,  apprehending 
danger  in  their  own  country,  sought  and  found  a  refuge  from 
their  fears  in  the  western  island.    The  families  of  Agar,  Ellis, 
and  Harvey,  are  descended  from  emigrants,  who  were  accom- 
panied from  Cheshire  by  a  clergyman  of  their  own  choice, 
whose  ministrations  they  freely  enjoyed  during  the  remainder 
of  this  reign  at  Dublin.    The  story  about  Dr.  Cole  having 
been  despatched  to  Ireland  with  a  commission  to  punish  here- 
tics, and,  losing  it  on  the  way,  is  unworthy  of  serious  notice. 
If  there  had  been  any  such  determination  formed  there  was 
ample  time  to  put  it  Into  execution  between  1653  and  1558. 


CHAPTER  III. 

^CCEMIOW  OP   QITEEN   ELIZABETH— PARtlAMEN'.-  OP  ISGO^THH 
Txi£    PROUD. 

The  daughter  of  Anna  Boleyn  was  promptly  proclaimed 
Queen  the  same  day  on  which  Mary  died-the  17th  of  Noveni- 
ber,  1558.  Eliiiabeth  was  then  in  her  26th  year,  proud  of  her 
beauty,  and  confident  in  her  abilities.  Her  great  capacity  had 
been  cultivated  by  the  best  masters  of  the  age,  and  the  best 
Of  all  ages,  early  adversity.    Her  vices  were  hereditary  in  hei 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


S81 


blood,  but  her  genius  for  gorernmcnt  so  far  surpassed  any  of 
her  immediate  predecessors  as  to  throw  her  vices  ii.to  the 
fihade.  During  the  forty-four  years  in  which  she  wielded  the 
English  sceptre,  many  of  the  most  stirrinp  occurrences  of  our 
history  took  place  ;  it  could  hardly  have  fallen  out  otherwise, 
under  a  sovereign  of  so  much  vigor,  having  the  command  of 
Buch  immense  resources. 

On  the  news  of  Mary's  death  reaching  Ireland  the  Lord 
Deputy  Sussex  returned  to  England,  and  Sir  Henry  Sidney,  the 
Treasurer,  was  appointed  his  successor  ad  interim.    As  in  Eno- 
land,  so  in  Ireland,  though  for  somewhat  dift'ereiii  reasons,  the 
first  months  of  the  new  reign  were  marked  by  a  conciliating 
and  temporizing  policy.    Elizabeth,  who  had  not  assumed  the 
title  of  "  Head  of  the  Church,"  continued  to  hear  Mass  for  sev- 
eral months  after  her  accession.    At  her  coronation  she  had 
a  High  Mass  sung,  accompanied,  it  is  true,  by  a  Calvinistic 
eermon.     Before  proceeding  with  the  work  of  "  reformation" 
inaugurated  by  her  father,  and  arrested  by  her  sister,  she  pro- 
ceeded cautiously  to  establish  herself,  and  her  Irish  deputy 
followed  in  the  same  careful  line  of  conduct.    Having  first 
made  a  menacing  demonstration  against  John  the  Proud,  he 
entered  into  friendly  correspondence  with  him,  and  finally 
ended  the  campaign  by  standing  godfather  to  one  of  his  chil- 
dren. .  This  relation  of  gossip    among  the  old  Irish  was  no 
tnere  matter  of  ceremony,  but  involved  obligations  lasting  as 
life,  and  sncred  as  the  ties  of  kindred  blood.     By  seeking 
Buch  a  sponsor  O'Neil  placed  himself  in  Sidney's  power,  rather 
than  Sidney  in  his,  since  the  two  men  must  have  felt  very  dif- 
ferently bound  by  the  connexion  into  which  they  had  entered. 
As  an  evidence  of  the  Imperial  policy  of  the  moment  the  inci- 
dent is  instructive. 

Round  the  personal  history  of  this  splendid,  but  by  no 
means  stainless  Ulster  Prince,  the  events  of  the  first  nine  years 
of  Elizabeth's  reign  over  Ireland  naturally  group  themselves. 
Whether  at  her  Majesty's  council-board,  or  among  the  Scot- 
tish islands,  or  in  hall  or  hut  at  home,  the  attention  of  all 
manner  of  men  interested  in  Ireland  was  fixed  upon  the  move- 
ments of  John  the  Proud.    In  tracing  his  career  we  there^'ora 


y  I 


382 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRKLAKD. 


naturally  gather  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  threads  of  the  national 
story,  during  the  first  ten  years  of  Queen  Mary's  successor 

Ir  the  second  year  of  Elizabeth,  Lord  Deputy  Sussex,  who 
returned  fully  possessed  of  her  Majesty's  views,  summoned  the 
Parliament  to  meet  in  Dublin  on  the  12th  day  of  January, 
1660.     It  is  to  be  observed,  however,  that  though  the  union  of 
the  crowns- was  now  of  twenty  years'  standing,  the  writs  were 
not  issued  to  the  nation  at  large,  but  only  to  the  ten  counties 
of  Dublin,  Meath,  Louth,  Westmeath,  Kildare,  Carlow    Kil- 
kenny, Wexford,  Waterford  and  Tipperary,  with  their  borouahs. 
The  published  instructions  of  Lord  Sussex  were  "  to  make 
such  statutes  (cdncerning  religion)  as  were  made  in  England, 
mutaUs  mutandisr    Asa  preparation  for  the' legislature,  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral  and  Christ  Church  were  purified-  by  paint ; 
the  niches  of  the  Saints  were  for  the  second  time  emptied  of 
their  images ;  texts  of  Scripture  were  blazoned  upon  the  wall^, 
and  the  Litany  was  chanted  in  English,   After  these  prepara-' 
tory  demonstrations  the  Deputy  opened  the  new  Parliament, 
which  sat  for  one  short  but  busy  month.    The  Acta  of  Mary's 
Parliament,  re-establishing  ecclesiastical  relations  with  Rome, 
were  the  first  thing  repealed ;  then  so  much  of  the  Act  Ss' 
Henry  VIII.,  as  related  to  the  succession,  was  revived ;  all 
ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  was  next  declared  vested  in   the 
Crown,  and  all  "judges,  justices,  mayors  and  temporal  officers 
were  declared  bound  to  take  the  oath  of  supremacy;   the 
penalty  attached  to  the  refusal  of  the  oath,  by  this  statute, 
being  "  forfeiture  of  office  and  promotion  during  life."    Pro^ 
ceeding  rapidly  in  the  same  direction,  it  was  declared  that 
commissioners  in  ecclesiastical  causes  should  adjudge  nothing 
«w  heresy  which  was  not  expressly  so  condemned  by  the  Cano- 
njcal  Scriptures,  the  received  General  Councils,  or  by  Parlia- 
ment.    The  penalty  of  prcemunire  was  declared  in  force,  and, 
to  crown  the  work,  the  celebrated  "  Act  of  Uniformity"  was 
passed.     This  was  followed  by  other  statutes  for  the  restoration 
of   first  fruits  and  twentieths,  and   for  the  appointment  of 
Bishops  by  the  royal  prerogative,  or  conge  ^'cZiVe— elections 
by  the  chapter  being  declared  mere  "  shadows  of  election,  and 
derogatory  to  the  prerogative."    Such  was  in  brief  the  legis. 


Popular  history  of  irklaitd. 


383 


Ifttlon  of  that  famous  P.iHiameiit  of  ten  countrcs-the  often 
quoted  statutes  of  the  "  2nd  of  EltMbeth."    In  the   Act  of 
trnf-formity,  the  best  known  of  all  its  statutes,  there  was  this 
curious  saving  clause  inserted:  that  whenever  the  "prit-st  or 
common  minister"  could  not  speak   En-lish,  he  mignt  still 
continue  "  to  celebrate  the  service  in  the  Latin  toncrue."    Such 
other  observances  were  to  be  had  as  were  prescribed  by  the 
2nd  Edward  Vlth,  until  her  Majesty  should  "publish  further 
ceremonies  or  rites."    We  have  no  history  of  the  debates  of 
this  Parliament  of  a  month,  but  there  is  f^mple  reason  to 
believe  that  some  of  these  statutes  were  resisted  throughout  by 
a  majority  of  the  Upper  House,  still  chiefly  composed  of 
Catholic  Peers ;  that  the  clause  saving  the  Latin  ritual  was 
inserted  as  a  compromise  with  this  opposition;  that  some  of 
the  other  Acts  were  passed  by  stealth  in  the  absence  of  many 
member.,  and  that  the  Lord  Deputy  gave  his  solemn  pled-e 
the  statute  of  Uniformity  should  be  enforced,  if  passed      So 
severe  was  the  struggle,  and  so  little  satisfied  was  Sussex  with 
his  success,  that  he  hastily  dissolved  the  Houses  and  went  over 
personally  to  England  to  represent  the  state  of  feeling  he  had 
encountered.    Finally,  it  is  remarkable  that  no  other  Pariia- 
ment  was  called  in  Ireland  till    nine    years    afterwards-a 
convincing  proof  of  how  uni^  nageable  that  body,  even  con- 
Bt:tuted  as  it  was,  had  shown  its.'f  to  be  in  matters  affecting 
religion. 

The  non-invitation  of  the  Irish  chiefs  to  this  Pariiament 
contrary  to  the  precedent  set  i^  Mary's  reign  and  in  1541,  the 
laws  enacted,  and  the  commotion  they  excited  in  the  minds  of 
tne  clergy,  were  circumstances  which  could  not  fail  to  attract 
the  attention  of  John  O'Neil.  Even  if  insensible  to  what  trans- 
pired at  Dublin,  the  indefatigable  Sussex-one  of  the  ablest 
.of  Elizabeth's  able  Court-did  not  suffer  him  long  to  raisun. 
derstand  his  relations  to  the  new  Queen.  He  might  be  Sid 
ney's  goEsip  but  he  was  not,  the  less  Elizabeth's  enemy  He 
had  been  proclaimed  "O'Neil"  on  the  rath  of  Tullahoge,  and 
had  roigned  at  Dungannon,  adjudging  life  and  death.  It  was 
clear  that  two  such  jurisdictions  as  the  Celtic  and  the  Norman 
kingship  could  not  stand  long  on  the  same  soil,  and  the  Ulster 


864 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


i     I 


Prince  soon  perceived  that  he  must  establish  his  authority,  by 
arms,  or  perish  with  it.  We  must  also  read  all  Irish  eveiits  of 
the  time  ov  Elizabeth  by  the  hght  of  foreign  politics;  during 
the  long  reign  of  that  sovereign,  England  was  never  wholly  froa 
from  fears  of  invasion,  and  many  movements  which  now  seem 
inexplicable  will  be  readily  understood  when  we  recollect  that 
they  took  place  under  the  menaces  of  foreign  powers. 

The  O'Neils  had  anciently  exercised  a  high-handed  superior- 
ity over  all  Ulster,  and  John  the  Proud  was  not  the  man  to  let 
his  claim  lie  idle  in  any  district  of  that  wide-spread  Province. 
But  authority  which  has  fallen  into  decay  must  be  asserted 
only  at  a  propitious  time,  and  with  the  utmost  tact ;  and  here  it 
was  that  Elizabeth's  statesmen  found  their  most  effective  means 
of  attacking  O'Neil.    O'Donnell,  who  was  hi.  father-in-law,  wa« 
studiously  conciliated;  his  second  wife,  a  lady  of  the  Arayle 
family,  received  costly  presents  from  the   Queen ;    O'Reillv 
was  created  Earl  of  Breffny,  and  encouraged  to  resist  the 
superiority  to  which  the  house  of  Dungar.non  laid  claim.    The 
natural  consequences  followed;  John  the  Proud  swept  like  a 
storm  over  the  fertile  hills  of  Cavan,  and  compelled  the  new- 
made  Earl  to  deliver  him  tribute  and  hostages.    O'Donnell 
attended  only  by  a  few  of  his  household,  was  seized  in  a  reli-' 
gious  house  upon  Lough  Swilly,  and  subjected  to  every  indig- 
nity  which  an  insolent  enemy  could  devise.     His  Countess 
already  alluded  to,  supposed  to  have  been  privy  to  this  sur- 
prise of  her  husband,  became  the  mistress  of  his  cantor  and 
jailor,  to  whom  she  bore  severaUhildren.    What  deepens  the 
horror  of  thif,  odious  domestic  tragedy  is  the  fact  that  the 
wi  fe  of  O'Neil,  the  daughter  of  O'Donnell,  thus  supplanted  by  her 
shameless  stepmother,  under  her  own  roof,  died  soon  afterwards 
of  "horror  Joathing,  grief,  and  deep  anguish,"  at  the  spectacle 
afforded  by  the  pi  ivate  life  of  O'Neil,  and  the  severities  inflicted  * 
iipon  her  wretched  father.    All  the  patriotic  designs,  and  all 
the  shining  abilities  of  John  the  Proud,  cannot  abate  a  jot  of 
our  detestation  of  such  a  private  life;  though  slandered  in 
other  respects  as  he  was,  by  hostile  pens,  no  evidence  has  been 
adduced  to  clear  his  memory  of  these  indelible  stains;  nor 
after  becoming  acquainted  with  their  existence  can  we  follow 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


885 


I 


Wb  after  career  with  that  heartfelt  sympathy  with  which  the 
lives  of  purer  patriots  must  always  inspire  us. 

Tlie  pledge  given  by  Sussex,  that  the  penal  legislation  of 
1560  should  lie  a  dead  letter,  was  not  long  observed.    In  May 
of  the  year  following  its  enactment,  a  commission  was  appointed 
to  enforce  the  2nd  Elizabeth,  in  Westmeath ;  and  in  1562  a 
similar  commission  was  appointed   for  Meath  and  Armagh. 
By  these  commissioners  Dr.  William  Walsh,  Catholic  Bishop^of 
Meath,  was  arraigned  and  imprisoned  for  preaching  against 
the  new  liturgy ;  a  Prelate  who  afterwards  died  an  exile  in 
Spain.    The  primatial  see  was  for  the  moment  vacant,  Arch- 
bishop Dowdal  having  died  at  London  three  months  before 
Queen  Mary— on  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption,  1558.    Terence, 
Dean  of  Armagh,  who  acted  as  administrator,  conveyed  a  Synod 
of  the  English-speaking  clergy  of  the  Province  in  July,  1559, 
at  Drogheda,  but  as  this  dignitary  followed  in  the  steps  of  hia 
faithful  predecessors,  his   deanery  was  conferred   upon   Dr. 
Adam  Loftus,  Chaplain  of  the  Lord  Lieutenant;  two  years 
subsequently  the  dignity  of  Archbishop  of  Armagh  was  con- 
ferred upon  the  same  person.    Dr.  Loftus,  a  native  of  York- 
fchiro,  had  found  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  Queen  at  a  public 
exhibition  at  Cambridge  University  ;  he  was  but  28  years  old, 
according  to  Sir  James  Ware,  when  consecrated  Primate-! 
but  Dr.  Macnt  thinks  he  must  have  attained  at  least  the  canon- 
ical  age  of  30.    During  the  whole  of  this  reign  he  continued  to 
reside  at  Dublin,  which  see  was  early  placed  under  his  jurisdic- 
tion in  lieu  of  the  inaccessible  Armagh.    For  forty  years  he 
continued  one  of  the  ruling  spirits  at  Dublin,  whether  acting 
as  Lord  Chancellor,  Lord  Justice,  Privy  Councillor,  or  First 
Provost  of  Trinity  College.    He  was  a  pluralist  in  Church  and 
Stale,  insatiable  of  money  and  honors ;   if  he  did  nrt  much 
assist  in  establishing  his  religion,  he  was  eminently  successful 
in  enriching  his  family. 

Having  subdued  every  hostile  neighbor  and  openiy  assumed 
the  high  prerogative  of  Prince  of  Ulster,  John  the  Proud 
looked  around  him  for  allies  in  the  greater  struggle  which  he 
foresaw  could  not  be  long  postponed.  Calvagh  O'Donnell  was 
yielded  up  on  receiving  a  munificent  ransom,  but  his  infamous 
33 


i 


886 


POPULAR    niSTORT    OF    IRELAND. 


■ 


i 


fi 


wife  remained  with  hor  paramour.    A  negoiatiun  was  set  (m 
foot  with  the  chiefs  of  the  Highlanrl  and  Island  Scots,  hrg« 
numbers  of  whom  entered  into  O'Neil's  service.     Emissaries 
were  despatched  to  the  French  Court,  where  they  found  a  favor- 
able reception,  as  Elizabeth  was  known  to  be  in  league  with  the 
King  of  Navarre  and  the  Huguenot  leaders  against  Francis  TI. 
The  unexpected  death  of  the  King  at  the  close  of  1500 ;  the  return 
of  his  youthful  widow,  Queen  Mary,  to  Scotland ;  the  vigorous 
regency  of  Catherine  de   Medioii  during  the  minority  of  her 
second  son ;   the  ill-success  of  Elizabeth's  arms  during  the 
campaigns  of  1561-2-3,  followed  by  the   humiliating  peace 
of  April,  1564— these  events  are  all  to  be  borne  in  memory 
when  considering  the  extraordinary  relations  which  were  main- 
tained during  the  same  years  by  the  proud  Prince  of  Ulster, 
With  the  still  prouder  Queen  of  England.    The  apparently 
contradictory  tactics  pursued  by  the  Lord  Deputy  Sussex,  be- 
tween his  return  to  Dublin  in  the  spring  of  1561,  and  his  final 
recall  in  1564,  when  read  by  the  light  of  events  which  tran- 
spired at  Paris,  London  and  Edinburgh,  become  easily  intol- 
h'gible.    In  the  spring  of  the  first  mettioned  year,  it  was 
thought  possible  to  intimidate   O'Neil,  so  Lord  Sussex,  with 
the  Earl  of  Ormond  as  second  in  command,  marched  north- 
wards, entered  Armagh,  and  began  to  fortify  the  city,  with  a 
Tiew  to  placing  in  it  a  powerful  aarrison.    O'Neil,  to  remove 
the  seat  of  hostilities,  made  an  irruption  into  the  plain  of  Meath 
and  menaced  Dublin.    The  utmost  consternation  prevailed  at 
his  approach,  and  the  Deputy,  while  continuing  the  fortifi- 
cation of  Armagh,  despatched  the  main  body  of  his  troops  to 
press  on  the  rear  of  the  aggressor.    By  a  rapid  countermarch, 
O'Neil  came  up  with  this  force,  laden  with  spoils,  in  Louth, 
wid  after  an  obstinate  engagement  routed  them  with  immense 
loss.     On  receipt  of  this  intelligence,  Sussex  promptly  aban- 
doned Armagh,  and  returned  to  Dublin,  while  O'Neil  erected 
his  standard,  as  far  South  as  Drogheda,  within  twenty  miles  of 
tlie   capital.     So   critical  at  this  moment  was  the  aspect  o' 
afTairs,  that  all  the  energies  of  the  English  interest  were  taxed 
to  the  utmost.    In  the  autumn  of  the  year,  Sussex  marched 
again  from  Dublin  northward,  having  at  hia  side  the  five 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP    IRELAND. 


S87 


poworful  Earls  of  Kiidare,  Ormnnd,  D.Pmond,  Thoniorvl,  and 

C  anrickanlo-whose  mutual  fouds  l.ad  been  houu  ,1  or  dlssem^ 

bled  for  the  day.     O'Neil  prudently  fell  bark  before  this  now. 

erfu  expedition,  which  found  its  way  to  the  shores  of  Louoh 

Poyle,  without  bringing  him  to  an  engagement  and  without  any 

ni.htary  advantage.     As   the  shortest  way  of  getting  rid  of 

fiuch  an  enemy,  the  Lord  Deputy,  though  one  of  the  wi.^est  and 

most  justly  celebrated  of  Elizabeth's  Counsellors,  did  not  hesitate 

to  communicate  to  his  royal  mistress  the  project  of  hiring  an 

assassin,  named  Nele  Gray,  to  take  otf  the  Prince  of  Ulster,  but 

the  plot,  though  carefully  elaborated,   miscarried.     Foreicrn 

news  ivhich  probably  reached  him   only    on    reachincr    the 

Foyle,  led  to  a  sudden  change  of  tactics  on  the  part  of  Sussex 

and  the  young  Lord  Kildare-0  Neil's  cousin  germain,  was  em' 

ployed  to  negotiate  a  peace  with  the  enemy  they  had  set  out 

to  demolish. 

This  Lord  Kildare  was  Gerald,  the  Xlth   Earl,  the  same 
whom  we  have  spoken  of  as  a  fugitive  lad,  in  the  last  years  of 
Henry  Vlllth,  and  as  restored  to  his  estates  and  rank  by  Queen 
Mary.    Although  largely  indebted  to  his  Catholicity  for  the 
protection  he  had  received  while  abroad  from   Francis   1st 
Charles  Vth,  the  Duke  of  Tuscany  and  the  Roman  Bee-1 
especially  the  Cardinals   Pole  and   Parnese-and  still   more 
indebted  to  the  late  Catholic  Queen  for  the  restoration  of  his 
family  honors,  this  finished  courtier,  now  in  the  very  midsrm- 
mer  of  life,  one  of  the  handsomest  and  mo  t  accomplished 
persons  of  his  time,  did  not  hesitate  to  conform  himself  a« 
least  outwardly,  to  the  religion  of  the  State.    Shortly  before 
the  campaign  of  which  we  have  spoken,  he  had  been  suspected 
of  treasonable  designs,  but  had  pleaded  his  cause  successfully 
with  the  Queen  in  person.     From  Lough  Foyle,  accompanied 
by  the  Lord  Slane,  the  Viscount  Baltinglass,  and  a  suitable 
guard.  Lord  Kildare  set  out  for  John  O'Neil's  camp,  where  a 
truce  was  concluded  between  the  parties,  Lord  Sussex  under- 
taking  to  withdraw  his  wardens  from  Armagh,  and  O'Neil 
engaging  himself  to  live  in  peace  with  her  Majesty,  and  to 
serve  "  w'',en  necessaiy  against  her  enemies."     The  cousins 
»bo  agreed  personally  to  visit  the  English  Court  the  following 


I 


I 


I 


k  -4 


*]? 


888 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


year,  and  accordingly  in  January  ensuing  they  went  to  Eng. 
land,  from  which  they  returned  home  in  the  latter  er.d  of  May 
The  rpcer)tion  of  John  the  Proud,  at  the  Court  oi'  Elizabeth, 
was  flattering  in  the  extreme.    The  courtiers  stared  and  smiled 
at  his  bareheaded  body-guard,  with  their  crocus-dyed  vests, 
Bhort  jackets,  and  shaggy  cloaks.    But  the  broad-bladed  battle-' 
axe,  and  the  sinewy  arm  which  yielded  it,  inspired  admiration 
for  all  the  uncouth  costume.    The  haughty  indifference  with 
which  the  Prince  of  Ulster  treated  every  one  about  the  Court, 
e-cept  the  Queen,  gave  a  keener  edge  to  the  satirical  com- 
ments which  were  so  freely  indulge  1  in  at  the  expense  of  hia 
style  of  dress.    The  wits  proclaimed  him  "  O'Neil  the  Great, 
cousin  to  Saint  Patrick,  friend  to  the  Queen  of  England,  and 
enemy  to  all  the  world  besides !"    O'Neil  was  well  pleased  with 
his  reception  by  Elizabeth.    When  taxed  upon  his  return  with 
having  made  peace  with  her  Majesty,  he  answered—"  Yes,  ir. 
her  own=  bedchamber."    There  were,  indeed,  many  points'  in 
common  in  loth  their  characters. 

Her  Majesty,  by  letters  patent  dated  at  Windsor,  on  the  15th 
of  January,  1663,  recognized  in  John  the  Proud  "  the  nrme 
and  title  of  O'Neil,  with  the  like  authority,  jurisdiction,  and 
pre-eminence,  as  any  of  his  ancestors."  And  O'Neil,  by  arti- 
cles, dated  at  Benburb,  the  18th  of  November  of  the  same 
year,  reciting  the  letters  patent  aforesaid,  bound  himself  and 
his  suffragans  to  behave  as  "  the  Queen's  good  and  faithful 
subjects  against  all  persons  whatever."  Thus,  so  far  as  an 
English  alliance  could  guarantee  it,  was  the  supremacy  of  this 
daring  chief  guaranteed  in  Ulster  from  the  Boyne  to  the  North 
Sea. 

In  performing  his  part  of  the  engagements  thus  entered  into, 
O'Neil  is  placed  in  a  less  invidious  light  by  English  writers 
than  formerly.  They  now  describe  him  as  scrupulously  faithful 
to  his  word ;  as  charitable  to  the  poor,  always  carving  and 
sending  meat  from  his  own  table  to  the  beggar  at  the  gate 
before  eating  himself.  Of  the  sincerity  with  which  he  carried 
out  the  expulsion  of  the  Islesmen  and  Highlanders  from  Ulster, 
the  result  afforded  the  most  conclusive  evidence.  It  is  true  lin 
had  himself  invited  those  bauds  into  the  Province  to  aid  him 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


880 


igainst  the  very  power  with  which  he  was  now  at  peace,  and, 
therefore,  they  might  in  thoir  view  allege  duplicity  and  deHertion 
agairist  him.  Yet  enlisted  as  they  usually  were  but  for  a  single 
campaign,  O'Neil  expected  thom  to  depart  as  readily  as  they  had 
come.  But  in  this  expectation  he  was  lisappointed.  Their 
loaders,  Angus,  James,  and  Sorley  McDonald,  refused  to  recog- 
nize the  new  relations  which  had  arisen,  and  O'Neil  was,  there- 
fore, compelled  to  resort  to  force.  He  defeated  the  Scottish 
troops  at  Glenfesk,  neur  Ballycastle,  in  15C4,  in  an  action 
wherein  Angus  McDonald  was  slain,  James  died  of  his  wounds, 
and  Sorley  was  carried  prisoner  to  Bonburb.  An  English  aux- 
iliary force,  un.ler  Colonel  Randolph,  sent  round  by  sea,  under 
pretence  of  co-operating  against  the  Scots,  took  possession  of 
Derry,  and  began  to  fortify  it.  But  thoir  leader  was  slain  in  a 
skirmish  with  a  party  of  O'Neil's  people  who  disliked  the  for- 
tress, and  whether  by  accident  or  otherwise  their  magazine 
exploded,  killing  a  great  part  of  the  garrison  and  destroying 
their  works.  The  remnant  took  to  their  shipping  and  returned 
to  Dublin. 

In  the  years  1565,  6  and  7,  the  internal  dissensions  of  both 
Scotland  and  France,  and  the  perturbations  in  the  Netherlands 
giving  full  occupation  to  her  foreign  foes,  Elizabeth  had  an 
interval  of  leisure  to  attend  to  this  dangerous  ally  in  Ulster. 
A  second  unsuccessful  attempt  on  his  life,  by  an  assassin 
named  Smith,  was  traced  to  the  Lord  Deputy,  and  a  formal 
commission  issued  by  the  Queen  to  investigate  the  case.  The 
result  we  know  only  by  the  event ;  Sussex  was  recalled,  and 
Sir  Henry  Sidney  substituted  in  his  place !  Death  had  lately- 
made  way  in  Tyrconnell  and  Fermanagh  for  new  chiefs,  and 
these  leaders,  more  vigorous  than  their  predecessors,  were 
resolved  to  shake  off  the  recently  imposed  and  sternly  exer- 
cised supremacy  of  Benburb.  With  these  chiefs,  Sidney,  a* 
the  head  of  a  veteran  armament,  cordially  co-operated,  and 
O'Neil's  territory  was  now  attacked  simultaneously  at  three 
different  points— in  the  year  1566.  No  considerable  success 
was,  however,  obtained  over  him  till  the  following  year,  when 
at  the  very  opening  of  the  campaign  the  brave  O'Donnell 
arrested  his  march  along  the  strand  of  the  Lough  Swilly,  and 


II 


I,  J,, 


II 


I 


t 


890 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


the  t.ie  rising  impetuously,  as  it  does  on  that  coast,  on  the 

nW  f  .f '  T:  ''  '^^'^"''  ^'™^^  ^^-"^  ^ith  terror,  and  com! 
pleted  their  defeat.    From  1,500  to  3,000  men  perisLd  by le 
8  void  or  by  the  tide;  John  the  Proud  fled  alone  alJ  th! 
nver  Swilly,  and  narrowly  escaped  by  the  fords  of  rtrf  and 
by  solitary  ways  to  bis  Castle  on  Lou^h  Neaeh      Th«  A,  n!i   . 
Of  Donegal  Who  were  old  enough  .o^a^Ton  Jed  w iT  :  ! 
vivors  of  the  battle,  say  that  his  mind    became  deranged 
by  this  sudden  fall  from  the  summit  of  prosperity  to  ?h« 
depths  Of  defeat.    His  next  step  would  sLrLtstabl  , 
he    fact     for    he   at  once    despatched    Sorley    McDonald 

Irt^at  offend  ^\T''"^^^  ^^«  ^«'--«n.  whom  he  had  so 
r..v!  .  \  •  '^^'"'  ^^^"don''"g  his  fortress  upon  the 
Blackwa ter,  he  set  out  with  50  guards,  his  secretary  and  his 
mistress  the  wife  of  the  late  O'Donnell,  to  meet  these  ^cted 

before.    At  Cushendun,  on  the  Antrim  coast,  they  niet  with 
a^l  apparent  cordiality,  but  an  English  agent.  Captain  Piers  Ir 

to^ir  the  ^"  r'"'"""' -^  '""''"^^  ''''  carouse  Which  e^ied 
to  recall  the  bitter  memories  of  Glenfosk.    A  dispute  and  a 

ultmg  shouts  of  the  avenging  Islesmen.    His  gory  head  was 
presented  to  Captain  Pie,.,  who  hastened  with  it  to  DubTn 

cess^  High  spiked  upon  the  towers  of  the  Castle,  that  proud 
head  remained  and  rotted;  the  body  wranned  in  »  ^ 
saffron  sbirt,  was  interred  where  he  feli,  TspT  aXlTi; 
«;e  inhabitants  of  the  Antrim  glens  as  ''the'  grave  of  SI  a  " 
0  Ne  1.  And  so  may  be  said  to  close  the  first  decade  of  Eliza! 
beth's  reign  o\  er  Ireland  I 


Wl 


1 1 


CHAPTER  IV 
BIB  iiENRT  Sidney's  deputtship — parliament  op  1509 — tub 

SECOND  "  GERALDINE  LEAGUE." — SIR  JAMES  PITZMAURICE. 

Sir  Henry  Sidney,  in  writing  to  his  court,  had  always  re- 
ported John  O'Neil  as  "  the  only  strong  man  in  Ireland."  Be- 
fore his  route  at  Lough  Swilly,  he  could  commonly  call  into 
the  field  4,000  foot  and  1,000  horse  ;  and  his  two  years'  revolt 
cost  Elizabeth,  in  money,  about  £150,000  sterling  "  over  and 
above  the  cess  laid  on  the  country" — besides  "  3,500  of  her 
Majesty's  soldiers"  slain  in  battle.  The  removal  of  such  a 
leader  in  the  very  prime  of  life  was  therefore  a  cause  of  much 
congratulation  to  Sidney  and  his  royal  mistress,  and  as  no 
other  "  strong  man"  was  likely  soon  to  arise,  the  Deputy  now 
turned  with  renewed  ardor  to  the  task  of  establishing  the 
Queen's  supremacy,  in  things  spiritual  as  well  as  temporal. 
With  this  view  he  urged  that  separate  governments,  with  large 
though  subordinate  military  as  well  as  civil  powers,  should  be 
created  for  Munster  and  Connaught — with  competent  Presi- 
dents who  should  reside  in  the  former  Province  at  Limerick, 
and  in  the  latter,  at  Athlone.  In  accordance  with  this  scheme 
— which  continued  to  be  acted  upon  for  nearly  a  century — Sir 
Edward  Fitton  was  appointed  first  President  of  Connaughti 
and  Sir  John  Perrott,  the  Queen's  illegitimate  brother.  Presi- 
dent of  Munster.  Leinster  and  Ulster  were  reserved  as  the 
special  charge  of  the  Lord  Deputy. 

About  the  time  of  O'Neil's  death  Sidney  made  an  oflScial  pro- 
gress through  the  South  and  West,  which  he  describes  as 
wofully  wasted  by  war,  both  town  and  country.  The  earldom 
of  the  loyal  Ormond  was  far  from  being  well  ordered ;  and  the 
other  great  nobles  were  even  less  favorably  reported ;  the  Earl 
of  Desmond  could  neither  rule  nor  be  ruled  ;  the  Earl  of  Clan- 
carty  "  want^ed  force  and  credit ;"  th«  Earl  of  Thomond  had 

891 


li 

;i 

9 

■f 

; 

l! 
: 

! 

1< 

1 

9 

1 

ii 


I 


392 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


neither  wit  to  govern  "  nor  grace  to  learn  of  others  •"  the  Pari 

>vh..h  .hsy  confessed  theleZ  lab  J  ^olrr' '''""■ 
ens  >ed  as  they  were  by  the  extortio™;'  tMr  tl"  '  Zt'; 
to  the  eye  of  the  able  En<r||,hman  h.A  i,        1  '  ""' 

■■  cowardly  policy  or  lack  If  nl      ?.    .   "  *°  ■'"'°"  "'  *^' 

o™  pohcy  was  based  on  very  different  prlncipTes     He  ,^1 
insubordination  erpecSl7ntb.^™''''''''  T' "^"^  »'«"  <" 

them  prisoners  to  Dublin     Mzlbetibel™'"^,'  """  '=""'^* 
e^tre^e  measures,  and  Sidr^l^I^p^r  :;",:*;•: 

raLtfl■^x^drkL::f^^fr-'"'^^^^^^^ 

John  of  Desmond  who  b^fT        '•'"     °  ^'"''  ""''  ^i^ '"■"'her 
•  detained  »s "Iner  of  ste    mJ^Tl^ ""'""' ""' '"' 

-r^i:era:d!i£''T'- 

-ere  to  g,ve  way  .„  that  remorseless  struggle  in  whicltleon,^ 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


398 


alternative  offered  to  the  Irish  was — uniformity  or  extermina- 
tion. Of  this  policy,  Sir  Henry  Sidney  may,  it  seems  to  me, 
be  fairly  considered  the  author;  Strafford,  and  even  Crom- 
well were  but  finishers  of  his  work.  One  cannot  repress  a  sigh 
that  so  ferocious  a  design  as  the  extermination  of  a  whole 
people  should  be  associated  in  any  degree  with  the  illustrioua 
name  of  Sidney. 

The  triumphant  Deputy  arrived  at  Carried  fergus  in  Septem- 
ber, 1568,  from  England.  Here  he  received  the  "  submission,'* 
as  it  is  called,  of  Tirlogh,  the  new  O'Neil,  and  turned  his  steps 
southwards  in  full  assurance  that  this  chief  of  Tyrone  was  not 
another  "  strong  man"  like  the  last.  A  new  Privy  Council  was 
sworn  in  on  his  arrival  at  Dublin,  with  royal  instructions  "  to 
concur  with"  the  Deputy,  and  £20,000  a  year  in  addition  to 
the  whole  of  the  cess  levied  in  the  country  were  guaranteed  to 
enable  him  to  carry  out  his  great  scheme  of  the  "  reduction." 
A  Parliament  was  next  summoned  for  the  17th  of  January, 
1569,  the  first  assmbly  of  that  nature  which  had  been  convened 
since  Lord  Sussex's  rupture  with  his  Parliament  nine  years 
before. 

The  acts  of  this  Parliament,  of  the  11th  of  Elizabeth,  are  much 
more  voluminous  than  those  of  the  2d  of  the  same  reign.  The 
constitution  of  the  houses  is  also  of  interest,  as  the  earlier 
records  of  every  form  of  government  must  always  be.  Three 
sessions  were  held  in  the  first  year,  one  in  1570,  and  one  ir 
1571.  After  its  dissolution,  no  Parliament  sat  in  Ireland  for 
fourteen  years — so  unstable  was  the  system  at  that  time,  and 
BO  dependant  upon  accidental  causes  for  its  exercise.  The  first 
sittings  of  Sidney  s  Parliament  were  as  stormy  as  those  of 
Sussex.  It  was  found  that  many  members  presented  themselves 
pretending  to  represent  towns  not  incorporated,  and  others, 
officers  of  election,  had  returned  thems-lves.  Others  again 
were  non-resident  Englishmen,  dependant  on  the  Deputy,  who 
had  never  seen  the  places  for  which  they  claimed  to  sit.  The 
disputed  elections  of  all  classes  being  referred  to  the  judges, 
they  decided  that  non-residence  did  not  disqualify  the  latter 
class ;  but  that  those  who  had  returned  themselves,  and  thoso 
chosen  for    non-corporate    towns,  were    inadmissible.     This 


M 


'  'W 

li 

E'  ■ 

'      fi'    r 

Um 

i 

i^ 

n 

:  ill 

SM 


POPtriAE    msTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


tt  1.  ?  ''',''  ""' «'™  ""•  "="  "»"»»  »f  Common,  quit, 
he  desired  complexion,  tho„gI,  Stanihurst,  Recorder  of  ZZ 
Im,  the  Court  candidate,  was  cl,«e„  Speaker.  The  oppjuon 
r„  "J  *^»<'*™'°'"-  ""n^val'  an  ab,o  andTnCa 
man  to  whose  firmness  it  was  mainly  duo  that  a  more  sweeS 
proscnpfon  was  not  enacted,  under  form  of  law,  at  this  peri  J 
Tne  nahvo  EngMmen  in  the  House  were  extremely  unpZtr 
out  of  doors,  and  Hooker,  one  of  their  numher,  who  sat  for  th^ 
deserted  borough  of  Athenry,  had  to  he  escorted  to  his  Wg! 

^  of'the  Z?  '"""■  ""  '"''  °'  "'»  ''°"""'  -»•'•  The  cht' 
acts  of  the  first  session  were  a  subsidy,  for  ten  years,  of  ISs  M 

Poy:i::;ttf' Th'  ^"•*'' '"  *'<'"^™  ■•  ™-t;„spendin« 

v^-  TIT  •    X     .,      ,  ujNeii;   an  act  appropr  atinff  to 

her  Majesty  the  lands  of  the  Knight  of  the  Valley  an  act 
authonzing  the  Lord  Deputy  to  present  to  vacant  benefices  ta 
Munster  and  Connaught  for  ten  years;  an  act  aboh-shtrthe 

I'M  ■"*'■"■"  "'  '■"'"■  °'  ™"""'''  <>■■  ^'^^''"f.  ""'ess  by 
^pec,al  warrant  under  the  great  seal ;  an  act  for  reCei^inrthe 

71,  the  ch,ef  acts  were  for  the  erection  of  ftee  schools,  for  the 
preserva  ,on  Of  the  public  records,  for  establishing  an  Uniform 
me^ure  m  the  sale  of  corn,  and  for  the  attainder  'f  the  Wh  t" 
Kn.ght  deceased.    Though  undoubtedly  most  of  these  statutes 
strengthened  Sidneys  hands  and  favored  his  policy  they  dW 
ad  oLVd      p"*';i'  ?"*  '"  ""  "«"='"'  ™-"P0  de»Teh' 
wlbnt       1°'  *°  "''  '"'"  ^''''  »'  "is  connection  with 
Insh  aHa,rs  he  was  accordingly  disposed  to  dispense  with  the 
unmanageable  machinery  of  a  Parliament.    OrSors  in  council 
were  much  more  easily  procured  than  acts  of  legislation,  eveu 
when  eve,7  care  had  been  taken  to  pack  the  House  of  Com 
mens  with  the  dependants  of  the  executive 

The  meeting  of  Parliament  in  1669  wa,  nearly  coincident 
w,  h  the  formal  excommunication  of  Elizabeth  by  Pope  Pta 
Tlh     Though  pretending  to  despise  the  bull,  th'e  q:!™ 
of   heZ„lrT'  ".V»™<':«°"  *™"«'>  tie  Interpo^t™ 

PonUff  iTiL  L;  fT    r-    ""  "'«"  '""'  "'  '"»  ™thnsia.tt. 
Pontiff  ,rr,tated  her  deeply,  and  perhaps  the  additional  severt. 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


395 


Hes  which  she  now  directed  against  her  Catholic  subjects,  may 
be,  in  part,  traced  to  the  effects  of  the  excommunication.  In 
Ireland,  the  work  of  reformation,  by  means  of  civil  disabilities 
and  executive  patronage,  wan  continued  with  earnestness.  In 
1564,  all  Popish  priests  and  friars  were  prohibited  from  meeting 
in  Dublin,  or  even  coming  within  the  city  gates.  Two  years  laten 
The  Book  of  Articles,  copied  from  the  English  Articles,  was 
published,  by  order  of  "  the  Commissioners  for  Causes  Eccles- 
iastical." The  articles  are  twelve  in  number:—!.  The  Trinity 
in  Unity ;  2.  The  Sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures  to  Salvation  ; 
3.  The  Orthodoxy  of  Particular  Churches ;  4.  The  Necessity 
of  Holy  Orders  ;  5.  The  Queen's  Supremacy ;  6.  Denial  of  the 
Pope's  authority  "to  be  more  than  other  Bishops  have;" 
7.  The  Conformity  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  to  the 
Scriptures ;  8.  Tlie  Ministration  of  Baptism  does  not  depend 
on  the  Ceremonial ;  9.  Condemns  "  Private  Masses,"  and  denies 
that  the  Mass  cim  be  a  propitiatory  Sacrifice  for  the  Dead ; 

10.  Asserts  the   Propriety  of    Communion  in   Both   Kinds ; 

11.  Utterly  disallows  Images,  Relics  and  Pilgrimages ;  12.  Re- 
quires a  General  Subscription  to  the  foregoing  Articles.  With 
this  creed,  the  Irish  Establishment  started  into  existence,  at 
the  command  and,  of  course,  with  all  the  aid  of  the  civil  power. 
The  Bishops  of  Meath  and  Kildare,  the  nearest  to  Dublin,  for 
resisting  it  were  banished  their  sees;  the  former  to  die  an 
exile  Id  Spain,  the  latter  to  find  refuge  and  protection  with  the 
Earl  of  Desmond.  Several  Prelates  were  tolerated  in  their 
sees,  on  condition  of  observing  a  species  of  neutrality  ;  but  all 
vacancies,  if  within  the  reach  of  the  English  power,  were  filled 
as  they  occurred  by  nominees  of  the  crown.  Those  who 
actively  and  energetically  resisted  the  new  doctrines  were 
marked  out  for  vengeance,  and  we  shall  see  in  the  next  decada 
how  Ireland's  martyr  age  began. 

The  honor  and  danger  of  organizing  resistance  to  the  pro 
gress  of  the  new  religion  now  devolved  upon  the  noble  family 
of  the  Geraldines  of  Munster,  of  whose  principal  members  we 
must,  therefore,  give  some  account.  The  XVth  Earl,  who 
had  concurred  in  the  act  of  Henry's  election,  died  in  the  year 
of  Elizabeth's  accession  (1558),  leaving  three  sons,  Gerald  ths 


»f'  1 


1  f  1 


iii 
ij  ''if, 

I  \  i\V\ 

\i\ 


896 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAIID. 


XMth  Earl,  John,  and  James.  He  had  also  an  elder  son  by  • 
first  mfe,  from  whom  he  had  been  divorced  on  the  ground  of 
consanguinity.  This  son  disputed  the  succession  unsuccess- 
f"I  y.  retired  to  Spain,  and  there  died.  Earl  Gerald,  though  one 
of  the  Peers  who  sat  in  the  Parliament  of  the  second  year  o'f  Eli- 
^abeth,  was  one  of  those  who  strenuously  opposed  the  policy 
of  Sussex,  and  sl.ll  more  strenuo^^W.  as  j.,j  be  supposed,  th^ 
more  extreme  policy  of  Sidne;  reputation,  however,  as 

a  leader  suffered  severely  by  th  o^bat  of  Affane,  in  which 
he  was  taken  prisoner  by  Thomas,  the  Xth  Earl  of  Ormond 
w.th  whom  he  was  at  feud  on  a  question  of  boundaries! 
By  order  of  the  Queen,  the  Lord  Deputy  was  appointed 
arb  trator  m  this  case,  and  though  the  decision  was 
In  favor  of  Ormond,  Desmond  submitted,  came  to  Dublin 
jnd  was  reconciled  with    his  enemy  in    the  chapter  house 

JJ.\  T?^  ^  ^'^'  ^'  *^^  '"*«'•'  ^^'•^'d  turned  his 
arms  agamst  the  ancent  rivals  of  his  bouse-the  McCarthys 
of  Muskerry  and  Duhallow-but  was  again  taken  prisoner,  and 
after  s,x  months'  detention,  held  to  ransom  by  Ihe  Lork  of 
Muskerry.  After  his  release,  the  old  feud  with  Ormond  broke 
out  anew-a  most  impolitic  quarrel,  as  that  Earl  wa.  not  only 

ZTTL^  ?''"''  ^^''^  '"'  ^"^^"'  ^"*  ^^«  -^«°  "early  con! 
nected  wjth  her  in  blood  through  the  Boleyns.    In  1567  as 

KnZ,    V  l"'  «.r'"^  ^'^  '''''^  ""^  «"^P"««  -  his  town  of 
Kilmallock  by  Sidney's  order,  and  the  following  autumn  con- 

veyed  to  London  on  a  charge  of  treason  and  lodged  in  the 

ower.    This  was  the  third  prison  he  hr  1  lodged' in  witl 

^rl  ^T'r"]     ^^  ^""^  *^"  "^'^^  h'^P^^^^^  «^  the  three.     His 

Ormond        ^^  "'  ''""^^"''  *'^°"^^  *^«  representations  of 

^  Ormond,  was  the  same  year  arrested  and  consigned  to  the 

same  ommous  dungeons,  from  which  suspected  noblemen  sel. 

dom  emerged,  except  when  the  hurdle  waited  for  them  at  the 

This  double  capture  aroused  the  indignation  of  all  the  tribes 
of  Desmond,  and  led  to  the  formidable  combination  which,  in 
reference  to  the  previous  confederacy  in  the  reign  of  Henry, 
may  be  called  ''  the  second  Geraldine  league."  The  Earl  o^ 
Clancarty,  and  such  of  the  O'Briens,  McCarthys,  and  Butlers 


/ 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OV   IRELAND. 


897 


/ 


M  had  resolved  to  resist  the  complete  revolution  in  property, 
religion,  and  law,  which  Sidney  meditated,  united  together  to 
avenge  the  wrongs  of  those  noblemen,  their  neighbors,  bo 
treacherously  arrested  and  so  cruelly  confined.  Sir  Jamea, 
son  of  Sir  Maurice  Fitzgerald  of  Kerry,  commonly  called  James 
Fitz-Maurice,  cousin-germain  to  the  imprisoned  noblemen,  was 
chosen  leader  ot  the  insurrection.  He  was,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  an  enemy.  Hooker,  member  for  Athenry,  "  a  deep 
dissembler,  passing  subtil^,  and  able  to  compass  any  matter  he 
took  in  hand ;  courteous  valiant,  expert  in  martial  affairs.* 
To  this  we  may  add  that  he  had  already  reached  a  mature  age ; 
was  deeply  and  sincerely  devoted  to  his  religion  ;  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  eulogist  of  the  rival  house  of  Ormond,  one  whom 
nothing  could  deject  or  bow  down,  a  scorner  of  luxury  and 
ease,  insensible  to  danger,  impervious  to  the  elements,  pre- 
ferring, after  a  hard  day's  fighting,  the  bare  earth  to  a  luxu- 
rious couch. 

One  of  the  first  steps  of  the  League  was  to  despatch  an  em- 
bassy for  assistance  to  the  King  of  Spain  and  the  Pope.  The 
Archbishop  of  Cashel,  the  Bishop  of  Emly,  and  James,  the 
youngest  brother  of  Desmond,  were  appointed  on  this  mis- 
sion, of  which  Sidney  was  no  sooner  apprised  than  he  pro- 
claimed the  confederates  traitors,  and  at  once  prepared  for  a 
campaign  in  Munster.  The  first  blow  was  struck  by  the  taking 
of  Clogreunan  Castle,  which  belonged  to  Sir  Edmond  Butler, 
one  of  the  adherents  of  the  League.  The  attack  was  led  by 
Sir  Peter  Carew,  an  English  adventurer,  who  had  lately 
appeared  at  Djiblin  to  claim  the  original  grant  made  to  Robert 
Fitzstephen  of  the  moiety  of  the  kingdom  of  Cork,  and  who  at 
present  commanded  the  garrison  of  Kilkenny.  The  accom- 
plished soldier  of  fortune  anticipated  tlie  Deputy's  movements 
ty  this  blow  at  the  confederated  Butlers,  who  retaliated  by  an 
abortive  attack  on  Kilkenny,  and  a  successful  foray  into  Wex- 
ford, in  which  they  took  the  Castle  of  Enniscorthy.  Sidney,  tak- 
ing the  field  in  person,  marched  through  Waterford  and  Dungar- 
van  against  Desmond's  strongholds  in  the  vicinity  of  Youghal. 
After  a  week's  siege  he  took  Castlemartyr,  and  continued  his 
route  through  Barrymore  to  Cork,  where  he  established  his  head. 
34 


;  'I 


(;, 


'  n 


il 


ill 


SOS 


POPDLAIt    IIISTORr    OF   IRElAlfD. 


t,nnd  members   of   the  League,  he   co„tin„e,I  hi,   routoT 
L,mer,ek   «hore  Sir  Edmond  Butler  and  hla  brethers  1  ° 

by  tt  ac  I'vil  „f  «    r     '°  "'"""  "y  ^"■'™''-    Overawed 

flcanco  to  whtbh  ^,"' "'"  "»^'  >•"»■•.  mortified  at  the  insigni- 
ncanco  t«  «h,ch  he  had  reduced  himself,  he  sought  refuse  in 
Frauce,  from  .-Heh  he  only  returned  when  the  intercetl^  o" 

lor  tne  past.    Sir  James  Fitzmaurice  thus  d  K^^n^A  \..r  u- 

t"riirh:7r,:^^'"-'^^^^^^^^^^ 

lei  lor  wnich  he  had  obta  ned  crpdif     Pocfi^  „^*  .,    , 

.onglng  to  his  cousins  and  himserwas  tak^'  "hXt:^:," 

a  ,L.         f"^"""'^''  »"  ««tlet  by  sea,  aun-endered  aft^r 
a  «,ree  months'  siege,  gallantly  maintained.    The  unyleldinJ 
eader  had  now,  therefore,  no  alternative  but  to  retire  too  bf 
impregnable  passes  of  the  Galteea,  where  he  e  tab, l^ed  hi! 
lad  quarters     This  mountain  range,  towering  from  two  to 
tluee  thousand  feet  over  the  plain  of  Ormond,  Stretches  from 
nortl™est  to  southeast,  some  twenty  miles,  descending  IZ 
many  a  gentle  undulation  towards  the  Puncheon  .nil  I  e 
Backwater  ,„  the  earldom  of  Desmond.    Of  al,  its  ^all  y' 
Aharlow  was  the  fairest  and  most  secluded.    Well  wooded  and 
we.1  watered,  with  outlets  and  intricacies  known  only  to  Ihe 
Kafve  populatmn,  it  seemed  as  if  designed  for  a  nuLry  of 
insurrection.    It  now  became  to  the  patriots  of  the  sLth 
what  the  valley  of  Glenmalure  had  long  been  for  those  ,t 
Le.nster-a  fortress  dedicated  by  Nature  to  the  defence  of 
freedom.    In  this  fastness  Fitzmaurice  continued  to  maintaia 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OD.F    TRELAN 


809 


Wmaelf,  until  a  prospect  of  new  combinaUons  opened  to  him 
In  the  West. 

The  sons  of  the  Earl  of  Clanrickarde,  tliough  released  from 
the  custody  of  Sidney,  receiving  intimation  that  they  wer» 
to  be  arrested  at  a  court  which  Fitton,  President  of  Connaught^ 
had  summoned  at  Galway,  flew  to  arms  and  opened  negotia- 
tions with  Fitzmaurice.    The  latter,  withdrawing  from  Ahar- 
low,  promptly  joined  them  in  Galway,  and  during  the  campaign 
which  followed,  aided  them  with  his  iron  energy  and  sagacious 
counsel.     They  took  and  demolished  the  works  of  Athenry, 
and,  in  part,  those  of  the  Court  of  Athlone.    Their  successes 
induced  the  deputy  to  liberate  Clanrickarde  himself,  who  had 
been  detained  a  prisoner  in  Dublin,  from  the  outbreak  of  his 
sons.    On  his  return— their  main  object  being  attained— they 
submitted  as  promptly  as  they  had  revolted,  and  this  hope  also 
being  quenched,  Fitzmaurice  found  his  way  back  again,  with  a 
handful  of  Scottish  retainers,  to  the  shelter  of  Aharlow.    Sir 
John  Perrot,  having  by  this  time  no  further  sieges  to  prose- 
cute, drew  his  toils  closer  and  closer  round  the  Geraldine's 
retreat.    For  a  whole  year,  the  fidelity  of  his  adherents  and 
the  natural  strength  of  the  place  enabled  him  to  baflHe  all  the 
President's  efforts.    But  his  faithful  Scottish  guards  being  at 
length  surprised  and  cut  off  almost  to  a  man,  Fitzmaurice, 
with  his  son,  his  kinsman,  the  Seneschal  of  Imokilly,  and  the 
son  of  Richard  Burke,  surrendered  to  the  President  at  Kilmal- 
lock,  suing  on  his  knees  for  the  Queen's  pardon,  which  was, 
from  motives  of  policy,  granted. 

On  this  conclusion  of  the  contest  in  Munster,  the  Earl  of 
Desmond  and  his  brother.  Sir  John,  were  released  from  the 
Tower  and  transferred  to  Dublin,  where  they  were  treated  as 
prisoners  on  parole.  The  Mayor  of  the  city,  who  was  answer- 
able for  their  custody,  having  taken  them  upon  a  hunting 
party  in  the  open  cf/untry,  the  brothers  put  spurs  to  their 
horses  and  escaped  into  Munster  (1574).  They  were  stigma- 
tized as  having  broken  their  parole,  but  they  asserted  that  it 
was  intended  on  that  party  to  waylay  and  murder  them,  and 
that  their  only  safety  was  in  flight.  Large  rewards  were  offered 
for  their  capture,  alive  or  dead,  but  the  necessities  of  both 


i 


i;i;i 


lU 


400 


iiit 

hi 

Mil 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


part  e«  compelled  a  truce  during  the  remainder  of  Sidney-b 
official  career-which  terminated  in  his  resignation-about 
four  years  after  the  escape  of  the  Desmonds  from  Dublin. 
Thus  were  new  elements  of  combination,  at  the  moment  least 
expected,  thrown  mto  the  hands  of  the  Munster  Catholics. 


♦        .— 


CHAPTER  V. 

»H«"0HDBBTAKER8"  IK  ULSTER   AND   LEmSTEB-DBPBAT  ABB 
DEATH   OP    BIB    JAMES    FITZMAURICB. 

QuBEiT  Elizabeth,  when  writing  to  Lord  Sussex  of  a  rumored 
rising  by  O'Neil,  desired  him  to  assure  her  lieges  at  Dublin 
that  if  O'Neil  did  rise,  "it  would  be  for  their  advantage;  fo^ 
there  will  be  estates  for  them  who  >-vant.»  The  Sidney  policy 
of  treating  Ireland  as  a  discovered  country,  whose  inhabitants 
had  no  right  to  the  soil,  except  such  as  tht  discoverers  graciously 
conceded  to  them-begat  a  new  order  of  men,  unknown  to 
the  history  of  other  civilized  stateft,  which  order  we  must  now 
be  at  some  pains  to  introduce  to  the  reader. 

These  "UndartaT^ers,"  as  they  were  called,  differed  widely 
from  the  Nt  man  invaders  of  a  former  age.    The  Norman  gener- 
ally espoused  the  cause  of  some  native  chief,  and  took  his  pay  in 
laud ;  what  he  got  by  the  sword  he  held  by  the  sword.    But  the 
Undertaker  was  usually  a  man  of  peace— a  courtier  like  Sir 
Christopher  Hatton-a  politician  like  Sir  Walter  Raleigh-a 
poet  like  Edmund  Spenser,  or  a  spy  and  forger  like  Richard 
Boyle,  first  Earl  of  Cork.    He  came,  in  the  wake  of  war,  with 
his  elastic  "  letters  patent,"  or,  if  he  served  in  the  field,  ii  was 
mainly  with  a  view  to  the  subsequent  confiscations.    He  was 
adroit  at  find'  or  flaws  in  ancient  titles,  skilled  in  all  the  feudal 
quibbles  of  fine  and  recovery,  and  ready  to  employ  the  secret 
dagger  where  hard  swearing  and  fabricated  documents  might 
fail  to  make  good  his  title.    Sometimes  men  of  higher  mark 
and  more  generous  dispositions,  allured  by  the  temptations  of 
the  social  revolution,  would  enter  on  the  same  pursuits,  bu| 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


401 


Ihey  generally  miscarried  from  want  of  what  was  then  cletdrly 
called  "subtlety,"  but  which  plain  people  could  not  easily  dis- 
tinguish from  lying  and  perjury.  Wliat  greatly  assisted  them 
In  their  designt  svasthe  fact  that  feudal  tenures  had  never  been 
general  in  Ireland,  so  that  by  an  easy  process  of  reasoning 
they  could  prove  ninetcen-twe;:t,ieths  of  all  existing  titles  "  de- 
fective," according  to  their  notions  of  the  laws  of  property. 

Sir  Peter  Carew,  already  mentioned,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
of  the  Undertakers.  He  had  been  brod  up  as  page  to  the  Prince 
of  Orange,  and  had  visited  the  Courts  of  France,  Germany, 
and  Constantinople.  He  claimed,  by  virtue  of  his  descent 
.from  Robert  Fitzs*^^ephen,  the  barony  of  Idrone,  in  Carlow, 
and  one  half  the  kingdom  of  Desmond.  Sir  Henry  Sidney  had 
admitted  these  preterisions,  partly  as  a  menace  asainst  the 
Kavanaghs  and  Geradines,  and  Sir  Peter  established  himself 
at  Leighlin,  where  he  kept  great  house,  with  one  hundred  serv- 
ants, over  one  hundred  kerne,  forty  horse,  a  stall  in  his  stable, 
a  seat  at  his  board  fur  all  comers.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
all  military  operations,  and  fell  fighting  gallantly  on  a  memo- 
rable day  to  be  hereafter  mentioneu. 

After  the  attainder  of  John  the  Proud  in  1569,  Sir  Thomas 
Smith,  Secretary  to  the  Queen,  obtained  a  grant  of  the  dis- 
trict of  the  Ards  of  Down,  for  his  illegitimate  son,  who  accord- 
ingly entered  on  the  task  of  its  plantation.  But  the  O'Neila 
of  Clandeboy,  the  owners  of  the  soil,  attacked  the  young 
undertaker,  who  met  a  grave  where  he  bad  come  to  found  a 
lordship.  A  higher  name  was  equally  unfortunate  in  the  same 
field  of  adventure.  Walter  Devereux,  Earl  of  Essex  (father  of 
the  Essex  still  more  unfortunate),  obtained  in  1573  a  grant  of 
one  moiety  of  Farney  and  Clandebcy,  and  having  mortgaged 
his  English  estates  lo  the  Queen  for  ,€10,000  associated  with 
himself  many  other  adventurers.  On  the  IGth  of  August,  he 
set  sail  from  Liverpool,  accompanied  by  the  Lords  Dacre  and 
Rich,  Sir  Henry  KnoUys,  the  three  sons  of  Lord  Norris,  and  a 
multitude  of  the  common  people.  But  as  he  had  left  one 
ponrerful  enemy  at  court  in  Leicester— so  he  found  a  second  at 
Dublin,  in  the  acting  deputy,  Fitzwilliam.  Though  gratified 
^th  the  title  of  President  of  Ulster  and  afterwards  that  of 


i 


¥. 


i¥  4 


103 


POPULAR    III8T0RV    OF    IRKLAND. 


•■1 


MarBhal  of  Irelarul,  he  found  hfs  schemes  constant!,  counter. 
acted  by  orders  fro.n  Dublin  or  ftom  England.    He  was  Z 
quen  ly  ordered   off  from   his  headquarters    at    Newry    on 
expeditions  Into  Munster.  until  those  who  had  followed  hi, 
banner  became  disheartened  and  mutinous.    The  O'Neils  and 
the  Antnm  Scots  harassed  his  colony  and  increased  his  troubles. 
He  attonipted  by  treachery  to  retrieve  his  fortunes.     Having 
Invited  the  alliance  of  Con  O'Donnell,  he  seized  that  chief  and 
sent  h.ra  prisoner  to  Dublin.    Subsequently  his  chief  opponent 
Brian  lord  of  Clandeboy.  paid  him  an  amicable  visit,  accom- 
pan.ed  by  his  wife,  brother  and  household.    As  they  were 
«eated  at  table  on  the  fourth  day  of  their  stay,  the  soldiers  of 
Essex  burst  in  o  the  banquet  hall,  put  them  all,  "women 
youths  and  maidens,"  to  the  sword.    Brian  and  his  wife  we,^' 
saved  from  the  slaughter  only  to  undergo  at  Dublin  the  death 
and  mutilation  inflicted  upon  traitors.      Yet  the  ambitious 
schemes  Of  Walter  of  Essex  did  not  prosper  the  mor"^ 
these  crimes.    He  died  at  Dublin,  two  years  afterwards  (1576) 
an  the  86th  year  of  his  age,  as  was  generally  believed  from 
poison    administered    by    the    orders    of   the    arch-poisoned 
Leicester,  who  immediately  upon  his  death  married  his  widow' 
I  IS  apparent  that  the  interest  of  the  Undertakers  could  not' 
be  to  establish  peace  in  Ireland  so  long  as  war  might  be  profit- 
ably waged.    The  new  "English  interest"  thus  craateria^ 
often  hostile  to  the  soundest  rules  of  policy  and  always  on 
posed  to  the  dictates  of  right  and  justice;  but  the  double  de 
.re  o  conquer  and  to  conver^to  anglicize  and  Protest^^nt^ze 
--bhnded  many  to  the  lawless  means  by  which  they  werl 
worked  out.    The  massacre  of  400  persons  of  the  chief  flmi! 
W  Leix  and  Offally  which  took  place  at  Mullaghma'tt 
1577,  IS  an  evidence  of  how  the  royal  troops  were  used  to  pro! 
^ote  the  ends  of  the  Undertakers.    To  Mullaghmast,  one  of 

itlv"''^"!/'''^''.''""*'^'"*"^*^'^  '^^^^^  fi^«">"-  from 
Athy  m  Kildare,  the  O'Mores,  O'Kellys,  Lalors,  and  other  Irish 

tnbes  were  invited  by  the  local  commander  of  the  Queen's 

troops,  Francis  Cosby.    The  Bowens,  Hartpoles,  Pigotts  Ho 

vendons,  and  other  adventurers  who  had  grants  or  design. 

upon  the  neighboring  territory  were  invited  to  meet  them. 


POPULAR    IIISTORV    OF    IRELAND. 


408 


One  of  the  Lalors,  perceiving  that  none  of  those  who  entered 
the  rath  before  him  emerged  again,  caused  his  friends  to  full 
back  whiie  he  himself  advanced  alone.    At  the  very  entrance 
he  beheld  the  dead  bodies  of  some  of  his  slaughtered  kinsmen  j 
drawing  his  sword  he  fought  his  way  back  to  his  friends  who 
barely  escaped  with  their  lives  to  Dysart.    Four  hundred  vie 
tims,  including  180  of  the  name  of  O'Moore,  are  said  to  have 
fallen  in  this  deliberate  butchery.    Rory  O'Moore,  the  chief 
of  his  name,  avenged  this  massacre  by  many  a  daring  deed. 
In  rapid  succession  he  surprised  Naas,  Athy  and  Leighlin. 
From  the  rapidity  with  which  his  blows  were  struck,  in  Kil- 
dare,  Carlow,  and  Kilkenny,  he  appeared  to  be  ubiquitous. 
He  was  the  true  type  of  a  guerilla  leader,  yet  merciful  as 
brave.    While  Naas  was  burning  he  sat  coolly  at  the  market 
cross  enjoying  the  spectacle,  but  he  suffered  no  lives  to  be 
taken.    Having  captured  Cosby  he  did  not,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected,  put  him  to  death.    His  confidence  in  his  own  prowess 
and  resources  amounted  to  rashness,  and  finally  caused  his 
death.     Coming  forth  from  a  wood  to  parley  with  a  party  of 
the  Queen's  troops  led  by  his  neighbor,  the  Lord  of  Ossory  a 
common  soldier  ran  him  through  the  body  with  a  sword 
This  was  on  the  last  day  of  June,  1678-a  day  mournful 
through  all  the  midland  districts  for  the  loss  of  their  best  and 
bravest  captain. 

While  these  events  occupied  the  minds  and  tongues  of  men 
in  the  North  and  East,  a  brief  respite  from  the  horrors  of  war 
was  permitted  to  the  province  of  Munster.  The  Earl  of  Des- 
mond, only  too  happy  to  be  tolerated  in  the  possession  of  his 
670,000  acres,  was  eager  enough  to  testify  his  allegiance  by 
my  son  of  service.  His  brothers,  though  less  compliant  fol- 
lowed  his  example  for  the  moment,  and  no  danger  was  to  bo 
apprehended  in  that  quarter,  except  from  the  indomitable 
James  Pitzmaurice,  self-exiled  on  the  continent.  No  higher 
tribute  could  be  paid  to  the  character  of  that  heroic  man  than 
the  closeness  with  which  all  his  movements  were  watched  by 
English  spies,  specially  set  upon  his  track.  They  followed 
him  to  the  French  court,  to  St.  Male's  (where  he  resided  for 
tome  time  with  his  family),  to  Madrid,  whence  he  sent  his  two 


m 


'}t 


f 


404 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


Rome*"  it  hoTorM"""""'*^  ''  ^''''''  ^'^^  ^-^  ^'-^^^  *« 
»ome.     lue  honorable  reception  ho  recpiv^fl  nt  fi,«  i,     j     V 

the  French  and  Spanish  sLre'.;r:ZrL^^ ^^^^ 

both  being  at  peace  with  England,  his  plans  edited  no '' 
encouragement  from  either     Af  w^     %7      eiicitea  no  open 

about  1,000  men  was  enlisted  at  the  expense  of  Pope  Gregory 
XIII.,  m  the  Papal  States,  and  placed  under  an  T.  ^^  ? 
capUin    Hercules    Pisano.      Th'ey  were    shipped   L'^S 

■   tV„i    ""•.^-"■o  ™  n^ed  Vice- Admiral  of  the  fleet     The 
who  ee.ped,tio„waa  fitted  out  at  the  expense  of  tie  Pop, 
out  It  was  secretly  aareed  thnf  if  oK«„ij  v  ^  ' 

landing  in  Ire  Jd.  ^ l^e  of  P^^^^^^^^  ^"" 

travelling  overland  to  Spain,  was^olr  fhe  e  ^iTZ^ 
party  of  adventurers,  and  to  form  a  junction  with  StuJv  and 
Pisano  on  the  coast  of  Kerry  So  with  th^  -d  i  otuKely  and 
eladdeninir  TiJ«  !,««  /     !   ^*  *^®  ^^P*^  benediction 

Foltr*?    1     !    *'  ^"^  ^  "'^'^  «^™««*^  exhortation  from  the 

to  t^agam  the  hazard  of  war  in  hia  own  country.  ' 

Thto  wa»  m  the  spring  of  the  year  1579.  Sir  Henry  Sidney 
afte  manyyears'  direction  of  the  government,  had  been  recaS' 
at  h«  o™  request ,  Sir  William  Drury  was  acting  as  lord  J„^ 

Se^i       T""  "'  ^"^■"«»"-'=«.  «t  tte  head  of  a  liber- 
™t*r^Itr°"'  l'^™  '"  "«  *»  ""-""g""-"  the^outh  and 

fetL  ™    ?K    ,7*  ""■''  ™'"'"'*  ''"'■  *«  "taost  vigilance 
In  the  month  of  June,  three  persona  having  landed  in  Lg^i.^" 


POPULAR    HISTORY    0^    IRELAND; 


405 


from  a  Spanish  ship,  at  Dingle,  were  seized  by  goveniment 
■pies  and  carried  before  the  Earl  of  Desmond.    On  examina- 
tion, one  of  them  proved  to  be  O'Healy,  Bishop  of  Mayo,  and 
another  a  friar  named  O'Rourke ;  the  third  is  not  named.    By 
the  timid,  temporizing  Desmond,  they  were  forwarded  to  Kil- 
mallock  to  Drury,  who  put  them  to  every  conceivable  torture, 
In  order  to  extract  intelligence  of  Fitzmaurice's  movement*! 
After  their  thighs  had  been  broken  with  hammers,  they  were 
hanged  on  a  tree,  and  their  bodies  used  as  targets  by  the  brutal 
soldiery.    Fitzmaurice,  with  his  friends,  having  survived  ship- 
wreck on  the  coast  of  Qalicia,  entered  the  same  harbor  (Dingle) 
on  the  17th  of  July.    But  no  tidings  had  yet  reached  Munster 
of  Stukely  and  Pisano;  and  his  cousin,  the  Earl,  sent  him 
neither  sign  of  friendship  nor  promise  of  co-operation.    He 
therefore  brought  his  vessels  round  to  the  small  harbor  of 
Smerwick,  and   commenced   fortifying   the   almost  isolated 
rock  of  Oilen-an-oir—oT  golden  island,  so  called  from  the 
shipwreck  at  that  point  of  one  of  Martin  Forbishers  ves- 
sels, laden  with  golden  quartz,  some  years  before.    Here  he 
was  joined  by  John  and  James  of  Desmond,  and  by  a  band  of 
200  of  the  O'Flaherties  of  Galway,  the  only  allies  who  pre- 
sented themselves.    These  latter,  on  finding  the  expected  Mun- 
ster rising  already  dead,  and  the  much  talked-of  Spanish  aux- 
iliary force  so  mere  a  handful,  soon  withdrew  in  their  own  gal- 
leys, upon  which  an  English  ship  and  pinnace,  sweeping  round 
from  Kinsale,  carried  off  the  Spanish  vessels  in  sight  of  the 
powerless  little  fort.    These  desperate  circumstances  inspired 
desperate  councils,  and  it  was  decided  by  the  cousins  to  en- 
deavor to  gain  the  great  wood  of  Kilmore,  near  Charleville 
—in  the  neighborhood  of  Sir  James'  old  retreat  among  the 
Galtee  Mountains.     In  this  march  they  were  closely  pur- 
sued by  the  Earl  of  Desmond,  either  in  earnest  or  in  sham, 
and  were  obliged  to  separate  into  three  small  bands,  the  bro- 
thers of  the  Earl  retiring  respectively  to  the  fastnesses  of  Lym- 
namore  and  Olenfesk,  while    Fitzmaurice,  with  "  a    dozen 
horsemen  and  a  few  kerne,"  made  a  desperate  push  to  reach  the 
western  side  of  the  Shannon,  where  he  hoped,  perhaps,  for 
be*,ter  opportunity  and  a  warmer  reception.    This  proved  fd 


i  ii 


h  ■  • 


406 


POPUI.AR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


Wm  8  fatal  adrentiire.    Jaded  after  a  long  day*s  ride  h«  w.. 

oi  ^.lanwunam,  m  order  to  remount  his  men     Th««-  i, 
ware  tb,  p„per.j  of  „«  „,„,„,  SirW;,;:™-^,  w,o  ^I* 
b«  neighbor   Mao-I-Brien  of  Ara,  puraued  tb,  fi^Hv^  * 
wthm  s,^  m„e,  of  limerick,  where  PItzmaurice  haZ  Z^ 

Of  religion  from  the  hands  .  tllZ     Hi!  h  d       T  ''"^ 

day  of  Ang„,..  1679  „  :■  r:fh  /pt;T:h  ■  r  *°  '*■■ 

>om:  ,6  ia  added  by  son>e  writer,  that  be  diedof  .Wo"  »' 
rece,pt  Of  so  n,a„y  favors.    Snch  was  .be  fate  of  '  he  „Ioriou! 
hopes  of  Sir  James  Fitzmaurice.     So  ended  ■„  T.      T, 
Kith  ch„r,saboutcatUe..„the  l..ny.sof  ::ttZ:Zt'^ 
.career  which  bad  drawn  the  attention  of  Eurooe  .„TbTd 
inspired  with  apprehension  the  lion-hearted  Queen 

ro™Lr  *°  °^P^'"»°  "««  Stately,  its  end.  was  even  more 
romantic.    H,s  squadron  having  put  into  the  Tagus  b,ZZ 
tbe  K,„g  of  Portugal,  Don  Sebastian,  on  the  eve  ot  ^Zt 
agamst  th.  Moors,  and  from  some  promise  of  after  ad  waf 
Induced  to  accompany  that  chivalrous  Prince     On  th.  2  i 
f.oid  Of  A>cas.r,  Stukely,  Pisauo,  and  th!  Mans  under  thet 
«nd  shared  the  fate  of  the  Portugese  m„na?:h  a„d "^ 
Heitbjr  Italy  nor  Ireland  beard  of  them  more 
OregoryXIII.  did  not  abandon  tbe  ^ai,«o     'n„  .t 

-Itbe^m.tidip^bei.ueaaao.btaThi.ttrri 


ropuLAB  HisTonr  of  ireiakb.  407 

Ui»  Tlrtues  of  James  Fitzmanric«  "  of  happy  mMuorr  "  .„^ 
jrantog  the  same  indulgence  to  those  whoTouTdlgi^'Jur 
John  or  James  of  Desmond,  "as  that  which  was  impa  ted  ' 
those  Who   ought  against  the  Turks  for  the  recoZ  o,  ih' 


CHAPTER  VI. 

•Z'MXBr.fS°/oAHB"f"o'rH""''=-'""""'"' 
TTBONE-PABiiAMBBT  ot   S.  "  "^""    """    »' 

lignt  of  toreign  affa  rs,  and  our  chiVf  haht  «♦  fv,-         •    , 

annexed  to  the  Spanish  crown.     The  proffress  of  th^  ,v 
rection  in  the  Netherlands  also  occupied    oarge  a  pCt 
h.s  attention  that  his  projects  against  Elizabeu'  we«  pos" 

Ir  inel™     n   '""'  '"  ""  "'"''  "appointment  Of  I 
Irish  leaders.    It  may  seem  far-tetched  to  assert,  but  it  is 

™  ttitTte?;   ""[  T-  """  ""'  <■"»  "'•  «""«'"«  M-  t 
Tl      ?T1^  '^  '"  "'°  '^'"'■'S'  »'  ""'^'ers  in  Portu- 

*  1    :^n  Z""'"'"""''  "'  ""  ™  '"»  Netherlands. 
The    Undertakers,"  who  had  set  their  hearts  on  having  the 

should  "ot  hve  long  in  peace,  however  peaceably  they  might 

to,  grew  into  a  common  and  familiar  practice  during  this  and 

•Lwcd  ,0  r  '"'™°"''-^'  """  P'riod  only  too  anxious  to  be 
tZT     T.  '"  P^'"=»-™»  ™<ie  public  at  Dublin  and 

London     It  wa,  addressed  to  Sir  William  Pelham  the  tern 

».7nT  fT  r""t'  '"'  ™°"'"  °*^'  P™"*-  -"waeV  b" 
patent  invention- that  he  (the  Earl  and  his  brethren)  "  had 
taken  this  matter  in  hand  with  great  a-uhority,  both  f rom  tta 


406 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


Pope's  holiness  and  King  Philip,  who  do  undertake  to  further 
H8  in  our  affairs,  as  we  shall  need."  It  is  utterly  incredible 
that  iiny  man  in  Desmond's  position  could  have  written  such  a 
letter— could  have  placed  in  the  hands  of  his  enemies  a  docu-- 
ment  which  must  forever  debar  him  from  entering  into  terms 
with  Elizabeth  or  her  representatives  in  Ireland.  We  have 
no  hesitation,  therefore,  in  classing  this  protended  letter  tc 
Pelham  with  those  admitted  forgeries  which  drove  the  unfor- 
tunate Lord  Thomas  Fitzgerald  into  premature  revolt,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

Sir  John  of  Desmond  had  been  nominated  by  th  9  gallant 
Fitzmaurice  in  his  last  moments  as  the  fittest  person  to  rally 
the  ren  lining  defenders  of  religion  and  property  in  Munster. 
The  Papal  standard  and  benediction  were  almost  all  he  could 
bequeath  his  successor,  but  the  energy  of  John,  aided  by  some 
favorable  local  occurrences,  assembled  a  larger  force  for  the 
campaign  of  1579  than  had  lately  taken  the  field.    Without 
the  open  aid  of  the  Earl,  he  contrived  to  get  together  at  one  time 
as  many  as  2,000  men,  amongst  whom  not  the  least  active 
officer  was  his  younger  brother.  Sir  James,  hardly  yet  of  man's 
age.    Drs.  Saunders  and  Allen,  with  several  Spanish  officers, 
accompanied  this  devoted  but  undisciplined  multitude,  sharing 
all  the  hardships  of  the  men,  and  the  counsels  of  the  chiefs. 
Their  first  camp,  and,  so  to  speak,  the  nursery  of  their  army, 
was  among  the  inaccessible  mountains  of  Slievelogher  in  Kerry, 
where  the    rudiments   of   discipline  were    daily  inculcated. 
When    they  considered   the    time  ripe   for  action  they  re- 
moved their  camp  to  the  great  wood  of  Kilmore,  near  Charle- 
ville,  from  which  they  might  safely  assail  the  line  of  commu- 
nication between  Cork  and  Limerick,  the  main  depots  of  Eli- 
zabeth's southern  army.    Nearly  half-way  between  these  cities, 
and  within  a  few  miles  of  their  new  encampment,  stood  the 
strong  town  of  Kilmallock  on  the  little  river  Lubach.    This 
famous  old  Geraldine  borough,  the  focus  of  several  roads,  was 
the  habitual  stopping  place  of  the  Deputies  in  their  progress, 
as  well  as  of  English  soldie'-s  on  their  march.    The  ancient 
fortifications,  almost  obliterated  by  Fitzmaurice  eleven  yean 
before,  had  been  replaced  by  stropg  walls,  lined  with  earth< 


POPULAR    HlflTORr    OF    IREIAND 


40» 


nT^'y.  t  T''"''^  ^^  '°"''™-  ««^«  Sir  William  Drury 
Jr,  .  n  ^r^,^^^^'^'-^  ^»  the  spring  of  1679,  summoning  to 
•  1  1  'il^"^''"''  '''^''  ^°  M""«ter.  With  a  force*  of  uoj 
less  than  1.000  English  regulars  under  his  own  command  and 
perhaps  tw,ce  that  number  under  the  banner  of  theMunster 
"Undertakers"  and  others,  who  obeyed  his  summons  he  made 

KilZrr^d'"^"'^  ''  heatuptheGera-dine  :'uLte  fa 
Kilmore  One  division  of  his  force,  consis.ing  of  300  men  by 
the  Irish  and  200  by  the  English  account,  L  cutTo  p  ec  f 
with  their  captains,  Herbert,  Price,  and  Eustace.  The  ^ 
mamder  retreated  in  disorder  to  their  camp  at  Athneasy  • 
ford  on  the  Morning  Star  River,  four  miles  eL  of  J^ZI^, 
For  nine  weeks  Drury  continued  In  the  field,  without  gaining 

that  his  health  gave  way  under  his  anxieties.    Despairing  of 

w'thCoTl  rr  ''  "'"'*^  '''''  '"^  communications  both 
With  Cork  and  Limenck  were  impracticable-hut  died  before 
reaching  the  first  mentioned  city.  The  chief  command  in 
Munster  now  devolved  upon  Sir  Nicholas  Malby,  an  officer 

lol  "IT  ™"'^  ^"'"'^^  '^'''''^'  ^h^l«  ^h«  temporary 
vacancy  m  the  government  was  filled  by  the  Council  a  Dul^ 

Im,  whose  choice  fell  on  Sir  William  Pelham,  another  distin- 
guished  military  man,  lately  arrived  from  England 

Throughout  the  summer  ^nd  autumn  months  the  war  was 
maintained,  with  varying  fortune  on  either  side.     In  the  com 
bats  of  Gortnatibrid  and  Enagbeg,  in  Limerick,   the  fin^I 
success,  according  to  Irish  account.,  was  with  the  Geraldines 
though  they  had  the  misfortune  to  loose  Cardinal  Allen,  Si^ 
Thomas  Fitzgerald  and  Sir  Thomas  Browne.    Retiring   nto 
winter  quarters  at  Aharlow,  they  had  a  third  engagement 
with  the  garrison  of  Kilmallock,  which  attempted!  without 
success,  to  intercept  their  march.    The  campaign  of  1580 
was,  however,  destined  to  be  decisive.    Sir  John  of  Desmond 
temg  invited  to  an  amicaole  conference  by  the  Lord  Barry 
was  entrapped  by  an  English  force  under  C.ptain  Zouch  it 
he  woods  surrounding  Castle  Lyons,  and  put  to  death  on  'th. 
spot.    The  young  Sir  James  had  previously  been  captured  <» 


410 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


; 


ft  foray  into  Muskerry,  and  executed  at  Cork,  so  that  of  th« 
brothers  there  now  remained  but  Earl  Gerald,  the  next  rictim 
of  the  machinations  \(hich  had  already  proved  so  fatal  to  his 
family.    Perceiving  at  length  the  true  designs  cherished  against 
him,  the  Earl  took  the  field  in   the  spring  of   1580,   and 
obtained    two   considerable    advantages,    one    at    Pea-field, 
against  the  English  under  Boberts,  and  a  second  at  Knock- 
graffon  againstf  the  Anglo-Irish,  under  the  brothers  of  the 
Earl  of  Ormond,  the  recusant  members  of  the  original  league^ 
Both  these  actions  were  fought  in  Tipperary,  and  raised  anew 
the  hopes  of  the  Munster  Catholics.    An  unsuccessful  attempt 
on  Adare  was  the  only  other  military .  event  in  which  the 
Earl  bore  a  part;  he  wintered  in  Aharlow,  where  his  Christ- 
mas was  rather  that  of  an  outlaw  than  of  the  Lord  Palatine 
of  Desmond.    In  Aharlcw  he  had  the  misfortune  to  loose  the 
gifted  and  heroic  Nuncio,  Dr.  Saunders,  whose  great  services 
at  that  period,  taken  together  with  those  of  Cardinal  Allen, 
long    endeared    the    faitliful    English    to    the    faithful  Irish 
Catholics. 

The  sequel  of  the  second  Geraldine  league  may  be  rapidly- 
narrated.    In  September,  1580,  the  fort  at  Smerwick,  where 
Fitzmaurice  had  landed  from  Gallicia,  received  a  garrison  of 
800  men,  chiefly  Spaniards  and  Italians,  under  Don  Stephen 
San  Joseph.     The  place  was  instantly  invested  by  sea  and 
land,  under  the  joint  command  of  the  new  Lieutenant,  Lord 
Gr.  y  de  Wilton,  and  the  Earl  of  Ormond.    Among  the  officers 
of  the  besieging  force  were  three  especially  notable  men— Sir 
Walter  Raleigh,  the  poet   Spenser,  and   Hugh  O'Neil,  after- 
wards Earl  of  Tyrone,  but  at  this  time  commanding  a  squadron 
of  cavalry  for  her  Majesty  Queen  Elizabeth.     San  Joseph 
surrendered   the  place  on   conditions;   that  savage  outrage 
ensued,  which  is  known  in  Irish  history  as  "  the  massacre 
of  Smerwick."    Raleigh  and  Wingfield  appear  to  have  directed 
the  operations  by  which  800  prisoners  of  war  were  cruelly 
butchered  and  flung  over  the  rocks.    The  sea  upon  that  coast 
is  deep  and  the  tides  swift;  but  it  has  not  proved  deep  enough 
to  hide  that  horrid  crime,  or  to  wash  the  stains  of  such  wantoi 
bloodshed,  from  the  memory  of  its  authors  I 


n 


POPULAR    HISTOHY    OF    IBBLAJiD.  4|| 

'TvJa    Z     :  °*"'*  """'»"  '»  «•'  <=''-">'"»,  ex! 

h!5  .f       I  ""''  *  '""""  '"»  ■»»»'  -levofed  adherent, 

"Iralte  *°  T"'"""  °f  J**""™"  g™»  more  and  J„ 
intolerable.    On  one  occasion  lie  narrowly  escaned  cant„r.  I>. 

up  o  the  chm  ,„  water.  His  dange,,  can  hardly  be  paraS 
by  .ho.e  Of  Bruce  after  the  batUe  of  Falkirk,  or  by  IhTltre 
famihar  adventures  of  Charles  Edward.  A  lennh  o„  Z 
mght  of  the  nth  of  November,  1684,  he  was  snrpiedw^h 

from  Tralee,  among  the  mountains  of  Kerry.  The  snot  is  still 
remembered,  and  the  name  of  "the  Earl's  road"  tra Jpom 
the  fancy  Of  the  traveller  to  that  tragical  scene.  CowerC 
over  the  embers  of  a  half-extinct  Are  in  a  miserable  h„v7  h' 
lord  Of  a  country,  which  in  time  of  peace  had  yielded  an 

tion      A  few  followers  watching   their   creaghts  or   herds 
ft  ther  up  the  valley,  found  hUbleeding  trunk  flung  out  „"o„' 
the  highway ;  the  head  was  transported  over  seas,  to  rot  Zn 
the  spikes  of  London  Tower.  ^ 

The  extirpation  of  the  Munster  Qeraldines,  in  the  right  line 

of  England  u,  general,  vested  in  the  Queen  the  670,000  acres 

Z.T'     /'"J""  ^"''-    P'-»'=l-»''M»n  was  according^ 
made  throughout  England,  inviting  ■•  younger  brothers  of  g^ 

1  '°  """'"^"^  «■»  P'^'ation  of  Desmond -e^ 

Umg  the  eupon  so  many  families-"  none  of  the  native  Irish  to 

took  up  10^  acres  ,n  Waterford  |  Sir  Walter  Kaleigh  12  000 
acres,  partly  in  Waterford  and  partly  in  Cork;  Sir  WiHU^ 

6,000  m  tho  same  county;  Sir  Warham  St.  Leer  and  Si, 
Th^as  Norris  0,000  acre,  each  in  Cork ;  Sir  WiS;!™  .ol'; 
10,000  acres  in  Limerick,  Sir  Edward  Fitton  11,500  acres  . 


il  11 
I*  i 


f 


•112 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


Tipperary  and  Waterford,  and  Edmund  Spenser  a  modeit 
8,000  acres  in  Cork,  on  the  beautiful  Blackwater.  The  other 
notable  undertakers  were  the  Hides,  Butchers,  Wirth«»,  Berklys, 
Trenchards.  Thorntons,  Bourchers,  Billing«leys,  &c.,  &c.  Some 
of  these  grants,  especially  Raleigh's,  fell  in  the  next  reign  into 
the  ravening  maw  of  Richard  Boyle,  the  so-called  "great  Earl 
of  Cork"— probably  the  most  pious  hypocrite  to  be  found  in 
the  long  roll  of  the  "  Munster  Undertakers." 

Before  closing  the  preser.t  chapter,  we  must  present  to  the 
reader,  in  a  formal  manner,  the  personage  whose  career  is  to 
occupy  the  chief  remaining  part  of  the  present  Book— Hugh 
O'Neil,  best  known  by  the  title  of  Earl  of  Tyrone.    We  have 
seen  him  in  the  camp  of  the  enemies  of  his  country  learning 
the  art  of  war  on  the  shores  of  Dingle  Lay-a  witness  to  the 
horrors  perpetrated  at  Smerwick.    We  may  find  him  later  in 
the  same  war— in  1584— serving  under  Perrott  and  Norris, 
along  the  Poyle  and  the  Bann,  for  the  expulsion  of  the  Antrim 
Scots.    The  following  year,  for  these  and  other  good  services 
he  received  the  patent  of  the  Earldom  originally  conferred  on 
his  grandfather.  Con  O'Neil,  but  suffered  to  sink  into  abeyance 
by  the  less  politic  "John  the  Proud,"  in  the  days  when  he 
made  his  peace  with  the  Queen.    The  next  year  he  obtained 
from  his  clansmen  the  still  higher  title  of  O'Neil,  and  thus  he 
contrived   to  combine,  in  his  own  person,  every  principle  of 
authority  likely  to  ensure  him  following  and  obedience  whe- 
ther among  the  clansmen  of  Tyrone,  or  the  townsmen  upon  its 
borders. 

O'Neil's  last  official  act  of  co-operation  with  the  Dublin  gov- 
ernment may  be  considered  his  participation  in  the  Parliament 
convoked  by  Sir  John  Perrott  in  1585,  and  prorogued  till  the 
following  year.  It  is  remarkable  of  this  Parliament,  the  third 
and  last  of  Elfzabeth's  long  reign,  that  it  was  utterly  barren  of 
ecclesiastical  legislation,  if  we  except  "an  act  against  sorcery 
and  witchcraft"  from  that  category.  The  attainder  of  the  late 
Earl  of  Desmond,  and  the  living  Viscount  of  BaltinTlass,  in 
arms  with  the  O'Byrnes  in  Glenmalure,  are  the  only  measures 
of  consequence  to  be  found  among  the  Irish  statutes  of  the 
27th  and  28th  of  Elizabeth.    But  though  not  remarkable  for 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


4U 


Hi  legislation,  the  Parliament  of  1585  is  conspicuousH  bo  for 
Ite  composition.  Within  its  walls  with  the  peers,  knighte,  and 
burgesses  of  the  anglicized  counties,  sat  almost  all  the  native 
chiefs  of  Ulster,  Connaught,  and  Munster.  The  Leinster  chiefs 
recently  in  arms,  in  alliance  with  the  Earl  of  Desmond 
generally  absented  themselves,  with  the  exception  of  Feagh 
son  of  Hugh,  the  senior  of  the  O'Byrnes,  and  one  of  the 
noblest  spirits  of  his  race  and  age.  He  appears  not  to  hava 
had  a  seat  in  either  house ;  but  attended,  on  his  own  busi- 
ness, under  the  protection  of  his  powerful  friends  and  sureties 


^M 


;  ■ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BATTLE   OP   OLENMALURE-SIR   JOHN   PERROTT's    ADMINISTRA- 

ESclTj'op';™  '  ^«-r^-^o«-  --P^Tv  Pxa^wx™- 

^11    I      ^^    ^^^^    "°^    O'DONNELL    PROM    DUBLIN     CASTLE— 
THE    ULSTER    CONPEDERACY    FORMED.  CASTLE— 

In  pursuing  to  its  close  the  war  in  Munster,  we  were  obli-red 
to  omit  the  mention  of  an  affair  of  considerable  importan^ce. 
which  somewhat  consoled  the  Ctholics  for  the  massacre  ai 
Smerwick  and  the  defeat  of  the  Desmonds.    We  have  already 
observed  that  what  Aharlow  was  to  the  southern  insurgents 
the  deep,  secluded  valley  of  Glenmalure  was  to  the  oppressed 
of  Leinster.    It  afforded,  at  this  period,  refuge  to  a  nobleman 
whose  memory  has  been  most  improperly  allowed  to  fall  into 
oblivion.    This  was  James  Eustace,  Viscount  Baltinglass,  who 
had  suffered  imprisonment  in  the  Castle  for  refusing  to  pay  an 
illegal  tax  of  a  few  pounds,  who  was  afterwards  made  the 
object  of  a  special,  vindictive  enactment,  known  as  » the 
Statute  of  Baltinglass,"  and  was  in  the  summer  of  1580  o-  his 
keepmg    surrounded  by  armed   friends  and  retaineri.  "ffis 
friend.  Sir  Walter  Fitzgerald,  son-in-law  to  the  chief  of  Glen- 
malure  and  many  of  the  clansmen  of  Leix,  Offally  and  Idrone. 
repaired  to  him  at  Slieveroe,  near  the  modern  village  of  Bles' 
.ington,  from  which  they  proceeded  to  form  a  junction  with 
the  followers  of  the  dauntless  Feagh  McHugh  O'Byrne  of 


14 


POPULAR    HlSTOnr   OF   IRELAND. 


BalJmcor.     Lord   Grey,   of   Wilton,   on   reaching  Dublin  li 
August  of  that  year,  obtained  inforn^ation  of  this  gPthe-ing 
and  detoiTOined  to  striite  a  decisive  blow  in  Wicklow  bofore 
proceeding  to  the  South.    All  the  chief  captains  in  the  Queen'a 
Bervico-the    Malbys,  Dudleys,  Cosbys,  Carews,  Moors-had 
repaired  to  meet  him  at  Dublin,  and  now  niarcned,  under  his 
rommaT;d,  into  the  neighboring  highlands.     The  Catholics  (hey 
knew  were  concentrated  in  the  vaHey,  on  one  of  the  slopes 
of  which  Lord   Grey   constructed  a  strong  camp,  and  then, 
having  selected  the  fittest  tropps  for  the  service,  gave  orders  to 
attack  the  Irish  camp.    Sir  William  Stanley,  one  of  the  officers 
in  comnmnd,  well  describe  i  the  upshot,  in  a  letter  to  S<  crotary 
Wnlshingham :  "When  we  entered  the  glen,"  he  writes  "wo 
were  forced  to  slide,  sometimes  three  or  four  fathoms,  ere  we 
could  stay  our  feet;  it  was  in  depth,  where  we  entered,  at 
least  a  mile,  full  of  stones,  rocks,  logs  aiid  wood  ;  in  the  bot- 
tom ihereof  a  river  full  of  loose  -jtones,  which  we  were  driven 
to  cross  (livers  times  *  *  *  ♦  before  we  were  half  through  the 
glen,  which  is  four  miles  in   length,  the  enemy  charged  us 
very  hotly  ♦  *  *  ♦  it  was  the  hottest  piece  of  service  that 
ever  I  saw,  for  the  time,  in  any  place."    As  might  have  been 
expected,   the    assailants   were  .  repulsed    with    heavy  loss  • 
among  the  slain  were  Sir  Peter  Carew,  Colonel  Francis  Cosby 
of  Mullaghmast  memory,   Colonel   Moor,  and  ofhei-  distin^ 
giushed  officers.     The  full  extent  of    he  defeat  was  concealed 
from   Elizabeth,  as  well  as  it  could  be,  in   the  official  dea- 
patches;  but  bef«-e  the  end  of  August  private  letterc,such  as 
we  have  quoted,  .onveyed  the  painful  intelligence  to  the  court 
The  action  was  fouglit  or.  the  25th  day  of  August 

Lord  Grey's  deputyship.  though  it  lasted  only  two  years  in- 
cluded the  three  decisive  campaigns  in  the  South,  already 
described.  At  the  period  of  his  recall-or  leave  of  absence--. 
Jhe  summer  of  1582,  that  "  most  populous  ond  plentiful  coun. 
try,-  to  use  the  forcible  language  of  his  eloquent  Secretary 
Edmund  Spenser,  was  reduced  to  "  a  heap  of  carcasses  and 
ashes  The  war  had  been  truly  a  war  of  extermination  ;  nor 
did  Munster  recover  her  due  proportion  of  the  population  of 
the  island  for  nearly  two  centuries  afterwards. 


rOPULAR    IinrORY    OF    IRELAND. 


415 


Tlie  appointment  of  Sir  John  Perrott  dateH  ftom  1588, 
though  he  did  not  enter  on  the  duties  of  Lord  Deputy  till  the 
following  year.    Like  most  of  the  public  men  of  that  age,  h« 
WU8  both  soldier  and  statesman.    In  temper  he  resembled' hii 
reputed  father,  Henry  Vlllth  ;  for  he  was  impatient  of  con- 
tradiction and  control ;    fond  of  expense  and  mogniflcence, 
with  a  high  opinion  of  his  own  abilities  for  diplomacy  and 
legislation.    The  Parliament  of  1586-6,  as  it  was  attended  by 
almost  every  notable  man  in  the   kingdom,  was  one  of  his 
boasts,  though  no  one  seems  to  have  b«*neflted  by  it  much, 
except  Hugh  O'Neil,  whose  title  of  Ears  of  Tyrone  waa  then 
formally  recognized.    Subordinate  to  Perrott,  the  office  of 
Governor  of  Connaught  was  held  by  Sir  Richard  Bingham^ 
founder  of  the  fortunes  of  the  present  Earls  of  Lucan— and 
that  of  President  of  Munster,  by  Sir  Thomas  Norris,  one  of  fonr 
brothers,  all  employed  in  the  Queen's  service,  and  all  destined 
to  lose  their  lives  in  that  employment. 

The  most  important  events  which  marked  the  four  years' 
administration  of  Perrott  were  the  pacification  of  Thomond 
and  Connaught,  the  capture  of  Hugh  Roe  O'Donnell,  and  the 
wreck  of  a  large  part  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  on  the  norihem 
and  western  coasts.     The  royal  commission  issued  for  tlio  first 
mentioned   purpose  exemplifies,   in  a  striking  manner,   the 
exigencies  of  Elizabeth's  policy  at  that  moment.    The  persons 
entrusted  with  its  execution  were  Sir  Richard  Bingham,  the 
Earls  of  Thomond  and  Clanrickarde,  Sir  Turlogh  O'Brien',  Sir 
Richard  Bourke  (the  McWilliam),  O'Conor  Sligo,  Sir  Brian 
O'Ruarc,  and  Sir  Morrogh  O'Flaherty.    The  chief  duties  of 
this  singular  commission  were,  to  fix  a  money  rental  for  all 
lands,  free  and  un'ree,  in  Clare  and  Connaught;  to  assess  the 
taxation  fairly  due  to  the  crown  also  in  money;  and  to  substi- 
tute generally  the  English  law  of  succession  for  the  ancient 
customs  of  Tanistry  and  gavelkind.    In  Clare,  from  fortuitous 
causes,  the  settlement  they  arrived  at  was  never  wholly  re- 
versed ;    in  Connaught,  the  inhuman  severi'ty   of   Bingham 
rendered  it  odious  from  the  first,  and  the  successes  of  Hugh 
Roe  O'Donnell,  a  few  years  later,  were  hailed  by  the  peopit 
of  that  province  ss  a  heaven-sent  deliverance. 


116 


POPULAR    niSTORT    OF    IRRLXND. 


The  treacherous  capture  of  th  a  youthful  chieftain  was  on* 
of  the  skilful  devices  on  which  Sir  John  Perrott  most  prided 
himself.    Altliou«h  a  mere  lad,  the  mysterious  language  of 
ancient  prophecy,  which  seemed  to  point  him  out  for  great- 
ness, gave  him  consequence  in  the  eyes  of  both  friends  and 
foes.     Through  his  heroic  mother,  a  daughter  of  the  Lord  of 
the  Isles,  he  would  naturally  Ond  allies  in  that  warlike  race. 
His  precocious  prowess  and  talents  began  to  be  noised  abroad, 
and  stimulatml  Perrott  to  the  employment  of  an  elaborate 
artifice,  which,  however,  proved   quite  successful.     A   ship, 
commanded  by  one  Bermingham,  was  sent  round  to  Donegal 
under  pretence  of  being  direct  from  Spain.     She  carried  some 
casks  of  Spanish  wine,  and  had  a  crew  of  60  armed  men. 
This  ship  dropped  anchor  off  Rathmullen  Castle  on  Lough 
Swilly,  in  which   neighborhood  the  young   O'Donnell— then 
barely  fifteen— was  staying  with  his  foster-father,  McSweeny, 
and  several  companions  of  his  own  age.    The  unsuspecting 
youths  were  courteously  invited  on  board  the  pretended  Spa- 
nish ship,  where,  while  they  were  being  entertained  in  the 
cabin,,  the  hatches  w^ere  fastened  down,  the  cable  slipped,  the 
sails  spread   to  the  wind,  and   the  vessel  put  to  sea.    The 
threats  and  promises  of  the  astonished  clansmen  as  they  ga- 
thered to  the  shore  were  answered  by  the  mockery  of  the 
crew,  who  safely  delivered  their  prize  in  Dublin  to  the  great 
delight  of  the  Lord  Deputy  and  his  Council.    Five  weary  yearg 
of  fetters  and  privation  the  young  captives  were  doomed  to 
pass  in  the  dungeons  of  the  Castle  before  they  breathed  again 
the  air  of  their  native  North. 

But  now  every  ship  that  reached  the  English  or  Irish  porta 
brought  tidings  more  and  more  positive  of  the  immense  armada 
which  King  Philip  was  preparing  to  launch  from  the  Tagua 
against  England  The  piratical  exploits  of  Hawkins  and  Drake 
•gainst  the  Spanish  settlements  in  America,  the  barbarous  exe- 
cution of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  and  the  open  alliance  of  Eliza- 
beth with  the  Dutch  insurgents,  all  acted  as  stimulants  to  the 
habitual  slowness  of  the  Spanish  sovereign.  Another  event, 
though  of  minor  importance,  added  intensity  to  the  national 
quarrel.    Sir  William  Stanley,  whose  accounl  of  the  battle  of 


POPULAR    HISTORY    0?   IRET  AND. 


417 


Qlenmalure  we  lately  quoted,  weit  ovev  to  Philip  with  1,800 
English  troops,  whom  he  commanded  as  Qovernor  of  Daverter 
and  was   taken  Into  the  counHols  of  the  Spanish  sovereign! 
The  fleet  for  the  Invasion  of  England  was  on  a  scale  commen- 
iurate  with  the  design.     One  hundred  and  thirty-flve  ve.vsela 
of  war,  manned  by  8,000  sailors,  and  carrying  19,000  soldiers 
iailod  from  the  Tagus,  and  after  encountering  a  severe  stomi 
•»flr  Cape  Finesterre,  reassembled  at  Corrunna.    The  flower  of 
Spanish  bravery  embarked  in  this  fleet,  named  somewhat  pre- 
sumptuously "  the  invincible  armada."    The  sons  of  Sir  Jameg 
Fitzmaurlce,  educated  at  Alcala,  Thomas,  son  of  Sir  John  of  Des- 
mond, with  several  other  Irish  exiles,  laymen  and  ecclesiastics, 
were  also  on  board.     The  fate  of  the  expedition  Is  well  known 
A  series  of  disasters  befel  it  on  the  coasts  of  France  and  Belgium' 
and  Anally,  towards  the  middle  of  August,  a  terrific  storm  swept 
the  Spaniards  northward  through  the  British  channel,  scatter- 
Ing  ships  and  men  helpless  and  lifeless  on  the  coasts  of  S(  ot- 
land,  and  even  as  far  north  ^s  Norway.     On  the  Irish  shore 
nmetee.n  great  vessels  were  sunk   or  strandel.      In   Lon^h 
Foyle,one  galleon,  manned  by  1,100  men,  came  ashore,  and 
some  of  the  survivors,  it  is  alleged,  were  given  up  by  O'Don- 
nell  to  the  Lord  Deputy,  in  the  vain  hope  of  obtaining  in  return 
the  liberation  of  his  son.     Sir  John  O'Doherty  In  Innlshowen. 
Sir  Brian  O'Ruarc  at  Dromahaire,  and  Hugh  O'Neil  at  Dun- 
gannon,  hospitably  entertained  and  protected  several  hundreds 
who  had  escaped  with  their  lives.     On  the  iron-bound  coast  of 
Connaught  over  2,000  men  perished     In   Galway  harbor    70 
prisoners  were  taken  by  the  Queen's  garrison,  and  executed  on 
St.  Augustine's  hill.    In  the  Shannon,  the  crew  of  a  disabled 
vessel  set  her  on  fire,  and  escaped  to  another  in  the  offlna     On 
the  coasts  of  Cork  and  Kerry  nearly  one  thousand  men  were 
ost  or  cast  away.    In  all,  according  to  a  state  paper  of  the 
time,  above  6,000  of  the  Spaniards  were  either  drowned  killed 
or  captured,  on  the  north,  west,  and  southern  coasts.    A  more 
calamitous  reverse  could  not  have  befallen  Spain  or  Ireland 
in  the  era  cf  the  Reformation. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  at  the  very  moment  the  fear  of 
Uia  armada  was  most  intensely  felt  in  England-the  beginning 


418 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


of  July— Sir  John  Perrott  was  recalled  from  the  government 
His  high  and  imperious  temper,  not  less  than  his  reliance  oa 
the  native  chiefs,  rather  than  on  the  courtiers  of  Dublin  Castle, 
had  made  him  many  enemies.  He  was  succeeded  by  a  Lord 
Deputy  of  a  different  character— Sir  William  Fitzwilliam — - 
vho  had  filled  the  same  office,  for  a  short  period,  seventeen 
years  before.  The  administration  of  this  nobleman  was  pro^ 
tracted  till  the  year  1594,  and  is  chiefly  memorable  in  con- 
nection with  the  formation  of  the  Ulster  Confederacy,  under 
the  leadership  of  O'Neil  and  O'Donnell. 

Fitzwilliam,  whose  master  passion  was  avarice,  had  no  sooner 
been  sworn  into  the  government  than  he  issued  a  commission 
to  search  for  treasure,  which  the  shipwrecked  Spaniards  were 
supposed  to  have  saved.     "  In  hopes  to  finger  some  of  it,"  he 
at  once  marched  into  the  territory  of  O'Ruarc  and  O'Doherty  ; 
O'Ruarc  fled  to  Scotland,  was  given  up  by  order  of  James  VI., 
and  subsequently  executed  at  London ;    O'Doherty  and   Sir 
John  O'Gallagher,  "  two  of  the  most  loyal  subjects  in  Ulster,'* 
were  seized  and  confined  in  the  Castle.    An  outrage,  of  a  still 
more  monstrous  kind,  was  perpetrated  soon  after  on  the  newly 
elected  chieftain  of  Oriel,  Hugh  McMahon.     Though  he  had 
engaged  Fitzwilliam    by  a  bribe  of  600  cows  to  recognize  his 
succession,  he  was  seized  by  order  of  the  Deputy,  tried  by  a 
jury  of  common  soldiers,  on  a  trumped  up  charge  of  "  treason,'* 
and  executed  at  his  own  door.     Sir  Harry  Bagnal  who,  a4 
Marshal  of  Ireland,  had  his  headquarters  at  Newry,  next  to 
Fitzwilliam   himself,  profitted  most  by  the  consequent  partition 
and     settlement  of  McMahon's  vast  estates.     Emboldened  by 
the  impunity  which  attended  such  high-handed  proceedings, 
and  instigated  by  the  Marshal,  Fitzwilliam    began  to  practise 
against  the  ablest  as  well  as  the  most  powerful  of  all  the  North- 
ern chiefs,  who  had  hitherto  been  known  only  as  a  courtier 
and  soldier  of  the  Queen.     This  was  Hugh   O'Neil,  Earl  of 
Tyrone,  another  of  Sir  Henry  Sidney  s  "  strong  men,"  with  the 
additional  advantage  of  being  familiar  from  hie  youth  with  th* 
character  of  the  men  he  was  now  to  encounter. 

O'Neil,  in  the  full  prime  of  life,  really  desired  to  live  in 
peace  with  Elizabeth,  provided  he  might  be  allowed  to  goverq 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  419 

Ulster  with  all  the  authority  attached  to  his  name.    Bred  ud 
in  England,  he  well  knew  the  immense  resources  of  tZtnl 
dom.  and  the  indomitable  character  of  its  quTer      A  L     ^ 
Of  Ulster  rather  than  of  Ireland,  he  had  soTved  agi        h 
Desmon.l8  and  had  been  a  looker  on  at  Smerwick     To  s^t 

trobiectt  If  r"7  "  "'"'"'  ''  "^^  ^""^''^^  <^^<>-t,  were 
the  objecte  of  his  earher  ambition.  In  pursuing  these  objects 
he  did  not  hesitate  to  employ  English  troops  in  Ulster  nort 
accompany  the  queen  and  her  Deputy  to  the  service  of  the 
Church  Of  England.  If.  however,  L  really  bel  e  Id  thl  h 
could  long  continue  to  play  the  Celtic  Prince  north  of  th I 
Boyne,  and  the  English  Earl  at  Dublin  or  London  he  was  soon 
undeceived  when  the  fear  of  the  Spanish  Armaia  clased  to 
=^e.gh  on  the  Councils  of  Elizabeth. 
A  natural  son  of  John  the  Proud,  called  ft-om  the  circum 

Fitzvnlham  the  fact  of  Tyrone  having  sheltered  the  shin- 
wrecked  Spaniards,  and  employed  them  in  openin.  up  a 
corre        dence  with  King  Philip.    This  so  exasperat;d  the 

he  onttV^-^'^/T  '*''  ""^^•"^""^te  Hugh  of  the  fetters, 
he  caused  hmi  to  be  hanged  as  a  common  felon-a  high ' 
handed  proceeding  which  his  enemies  were  expert  in  turnfng 
to  account.  To  protect  himself  from  the  consequent  danger 
he  went  to  England  in  May,  1590,  without  obtaining  the 
hcense  of  the  Lord  Deputy,  as  by  law  required.  On  arSving 
in  London  he  was  imprisoned,  but  in  the  course  of  a  n^anlh 
obtumedh.s  liberty,  after  signing  articles,  in  which  he  agreed 
to  drop  the  Celtic  title  of  O'Neil ;  to  allow  the  erection  of  gaols 
in  his  country;  that  he  should  execnte  no  man  without  a 

law  ,  that  he  should  keep  his  troop  of  horsemen  in  the  Queen's 
pay,  ready  for  the  Queen's  service,  and  that  Tyrone  should  be 
regularly  reduced  to  shire-ground.  For  the  performance  of 
these  articles,  which  he  confirmed  on  reaching  Dublin,  he  waa 
to  phce  sureties  in  the  hands  of  certain  merchants  of  that 
city,  or  gentlemen  of  the  Pale,  enjoying  the  confidence  of  tU 
Crown.    On  such  hard  conditions  his  earldom  was  confirmed 


i'i 


I  ^  M 


'  M 


120 


POPULAR    .tlSTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


to  him,  and  he  was  appi.*ently  taken  into  all  his  former  favor. 
But  we  may  date  the  conception  of  his  latter  and  mora 
national  policy  from  th«  period  of  this  journey,  and  the  brief 
imprisonment  he  had  undergone  in  Loudon. 

The  "  profound  dissembling  mind"  which  English  historians, 
his  cotemporaries,  attribute  to  O'Neil,  was  now  brought  into 
daily  exercise.    When  ho  discovered  money  to  be  the  master 
passion  of  the  Lord  Deputy,  he  procured  his  connivance  at 
the  escape  of  Hugh  Roe  O'Donnell  from  Dubl>n  Castle.    On  a 
dark  night  in  the  depth  of  winter  the  youthful  chief,  with 
several  of  his  companions,  succeeded  in  escaping  to  the  hills 
in  the  neighborhood  of    Powerscourt ;    but  exhausted  and 
bewildered,  they  were  again  taken,  and  returned  to  their 
dungeons.     Two  years  later,  the  heir  of  Tyrconnell  was  more 
fortunate.    In  Christmas  week,  1692,  he  again  escaped,  through 
a  sewer  of  the  Castle,  with  Henry  and  Art  O'Neil,  sons  of  John 
the  Proud.    In  the  street  they  found  O'Hagan,  the  confidential 
agent  of  Tyrone,  waiting  to  guide  them  to  the  fastness  of 
Glenmalure.    Thfough  the  deep  snows  of  the  Dublin  and 
Wicklow  highlands  the  prisoners  and  their  guide  plodded  their 
way.    After  a  weary  tramp  they  at  length  sunk  down  over- 
whelmed  with   fatigue.    In  this  condition  they  were  found 
insensible  by  a  party  despatched  by  Feagh  O'Byrne  ;    Art 
O'Neil,  on  being  raised  up,  fell  backward  and  expired ;  O'Pon- 
nell  was  so  severely  frost-bitten  that  he  did  not  recover  for 
many  months  the  free  use  of  his  limbs.    With  his  remaining 
companion  he  was  nursed  in  the  recesses  of  Olenmalure,  until 
he  became  able  to  sit  a  horse,  when  he  set  out  for  home. 
Although    the    utmost  vigilance  was  exercised    by  all    the 
warders  of  the  Pale,  he  crossed  the  LifFey  and  the  Boyn& 
undiscovered,  rode  boldly  through  the  streets  of  Dundalk, 
and  found  an  enthusiastic  welcome,  first  from  Tyrone  in  Dun- 
gannon,  and  soon  after  from  the  aged  chief,  his  father,  in  the 
Castle  of  Ballyshannon.    Early  in  the  following  year,  the  elder 
O'Donnell  resigned  the  chieftaincy  in  favor  of  his  popular  son, 
who  was,  on  the  8d  of  May,  duly  proclaimed  the  O'Donnell, 
from  the  ancient  mound  of  Kilnaacrenan. 
Th»  Ulster  Confederacy,  of  which  for  ten  years  O'Neil  au4 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP  IREIJIND. 


in 


O'Donnell  were  the  joint  and  inseparable  leaders,  was  now 
Imminent.  Tyrone,  by  carrying  off,  the  year  previous  to 
O'Donnell's  escape,  the  beautiful  sister  of  Marshal  Bagnal, 
whom  he  married,  had  still  further  inflamed  the  hatred  borne 
to  him  by  that  officer.  Bagnal  complained  bitterly  of  the 
abduction  to  the  Queen,  charging,  among  other  things,  that 
O'Neil  had  a  divorced  wife  still  alive.  A  challenge  was  in 
consequence  sent  him  by  his  new  brother-in-law,  but  the  cartel 
was  not  accepted.  Every  day's  events  were  hastening  a 
general  alliance  between  the  secondary  chieftains  of  the 
Province  arid  the  two  leading  spirits.  The  O'Ruarc  and  Ma- 
guire  were  attacked  by  Bingham,  and  successfully  defended 
themselves  until  the  Lord  Deputy  and  the  Marshal  also 
marched  against  them,  summoning  O'Neil  to  their  aid.  The 
latter,  feeling  that  the  time  was  not  yet  ripe,  temporized  with 
Fitzwilliam  during  the  campaign  of  1593,  and  though  in  the 
field  at  the  head  of  his  horsemen,  nominally  for  the  Queen, 
he  seems  to  have  rather  employed  his  opportunities  to  promote 
that  Northern  Union  which  he  had  so  much  at  heart. 


■V-''  f 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  1TISTEK  COTTPBDERACT — FEAGH  MAC  HUGH  o'bYRNE — CAM- 
PAIGN OP  1595 — NEGOTIATIONS,  ENGLISH  AND  SPANISH — BAT- 
TLB   OP    IHB   TELLOW   FORD — ITS   CONSEQUENCES. 

In  the  summer  of  1594  the  cruel  and  mercenary  Fitzwilliam 
was  succeeded  by  Sir  William  Russell,  who  had  served  the 
Queen,  both  in  Ireland  "  and  in  divers  other  places  beyond  sea, 
in  martial  affairs."  In  lieu  of  the  arbitrary  exaction  of  county 
cess — so  grossly  abused  by  his  predecessor— the  shires  of  the 
Pale  were  to  pay  for  the  future  into  the  Treasury  of  Dublin 
A  composition  of  £2,100  per  annum,  out  of  which  the  fixed 
«um  of  i;l,000  was  allowed  as  the  Deputy's  wages.  Russell's 
administration  lasted  till  May,  1597.  In  that  month  he  waa 
iucceeded  by  Thomas,  Lord  Borough,  who  died  in  August  fol- 
lowing of  the  wour  received  in  an  expedition  against  Tyrone  ; 
86 


i32 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


after  Tvh'ch  the  administration  remained  in  the  bands  of  th« 
Justices  till  the  appointment  of  the  Earl  of  Essex 

On  the  arrival  of  Russell,  Tyrone  for  the  last  time  ventured 
to  appear  within  the  walls  of  Dublin.    His  influence  in  the  city 
and  even  at  the  Council  table,  must  have  been  considerable  Ut 
enable  him  to  enter  the  gates  of  the  Castle  with  so  much  con- 
fidence.   He  came  to  explain  his  wrongs  against  the  previous 
Deputy,  to  defend  himself  against  Bagnal's  charges,  and  to 
discover,  if  possible,  the  instructions  of  Russell.    If  in  one 
respect  he  wat.  gratified  by  a  personal  triumph  over  his  bro- 
ther-in-law, in  another  he  had  cause  for  serious  alarm    on 
learning  that  Sir  John  Norris,  brother  of  the  President  of 
Munster,  a  commander  of  the  highest  reputation,  was  to  be 
sent  over  under  the  title  of  Lord  General,  with  2,000  veterans 
Who  served  in  Brittany,  and  1,000  of  a  new  levy.     He  further 
learned  that  his  own  arrest  had  been  discussed  at  the  Council 
and,  leaving  Dublin  precipitately,  he  hastened  to  his  home  at 
Dungannon.    All  men's  minds  were  now  nafirally  filled  with 
Wais  and  rumors  of  wars. 

The  first  blow  was  struck  at  "the  firebrand  of  the  moun- 
tams,"  as  he  was  called  at    Court,  Feagh  Mac  Hugh  O'Byrne 
The  truce  made  with  him  expired  in  1594,  and  his  application 
for  Its  renewal  was  not  honored  with  an  answer.    On  the  con- 
trary, his  sureties  at  Dublin,  Qeoff'rey,  son  of  Hugh,  and  his 
own  son,  James,  were  committed  to  close  custody  in  the  Castle 
His  son-in-law.  Sir  Walter  Fitzgerald,  had  been  driven  by  ill- 
usage,  and  his  friendship  for  Lord  Baltinglass,  to  the  shelter  of 
Glenmalure,  and  this  was,  of  course,  made  a  ground  of  charge 
against  its  chief.    During  the  last  months  of  1594,  Mynce 
Sheriff  of  Carlow,  informed  the  Lord  Deputy  of  warlike  prepara^ 
tions  in  the  Glen,  and  that  Brian  Oge  O'Rourke  had  actually 
passed  to  and  fro  through  Dublin  city  and  county,  as  confiden- 
tial agent  between  Feagh  Mac  Hugh  and  Tyrone.     In  January 
following,  under  cover  of  a  hunting  party  among  the  hills,  the 
Deputy,  by  a  night  march  on  Glenmalure,  succeeded  in  sur- 
prising O'Byrne's  house  at  Ballincor,  and  had  almost  taken 
the  aged  chieftain  prisoner.    In  the  flight,  Rose  O'Toole,  his 
Wife,  was  wounded  in  the  breast,  and  a  priest  detected  hiding 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


423 


iB  a  thicket  was  shot  dead.  Peagh  letired  to  Dromceat,  or  the 
Cat's  back  Mountain— one  of  the  best  positions  in  the  Glen- 
while  a  strong  force  was  quartered  in  his  former  mansion  to 
observe  his  movements.  In  April,  his  son-in-law  Fitzgerald 
was  taken  prisoner,  near  Baltinglass,  in  a  retreat  where  he 
was  laid  up  severely  wounded;  in  May,  a  party  under  the 
Deputy's  command  scoured  the  mountains  and  seized  the  Lady 
Rose,  who  was  attainted  of  treason,  and,  like  Fitzgerald,  bar- 
barously given  up  to  the  halter  and  the  quartering  knife. 
Two  foster-brothers  of  the  chief  were,  at  the  same  time  and 
in  the  same  manner,  put  to  death,  and  a  large  reward  was 
offered  for  his  own  apprehension,  "ftlive  or  dead. 

Hugh  O'Neil  announced  his  resort  to  arms  by  a  vigorous 
protest  against  the  onslaught  made  pn  his  friend  O'Byrne. 
Without  waiting  for,  or  expecting  any  answer,  he  surprised  the 
fort  erected  on  the  Blackwater  which  commanded  the  high- 
way into  his  own  territory.  This  fort,  which  was  situated  be- 
tween Armagh  and  Dungannon,  about  five  miles  distant  from 
either,  served,  before  the  fortification  of  Charlemont,  as  the 
main  English  stronghold  in  that  part  of  Ulster.  The  river 
Blackwater  on  which  it  stood,  ftom  its  source  on  the  borders 
of  Monaghaj\  to  its  outlet  in  Lough  Neagh,  watered  a  fertile 
valley  which  now  became  the  principal  theatre  of  war ;  for 
Hugh  O'Neil  and  afterwards  for  his  celebrated  nephew  it 
proved  to  be  a  theatre  of  victory.  General  Norris,  on  reach- 
ing Ireland,  at  once  marched  northward  to  recover  the  fort 
lately  taken.  O'Neil,  having  demolished  the  works,  retreated 
before  him ;  considering  Dungannon  also  unfit  to  stan-i  a  re« 
gular  siege,  he  dismantled  the  town,  burnt  his  own  castle  to 
the  ground,  having  first  secured  every  portable  article  of  va- 
fue.  Norris  contented  himself  with  reconnoitering  the  Earl's 
entrenched  camp  at  some  distance  from  Dungannon,  and  re- 
turned to  Newry -where  he  established  his  headquarters. 

The  campaign  in  another  quarter  was  attended  with  even 
better  success  for  the  Confederates.  Hugh  Boe  O'Donnell,  no 
longer  withneld  by  the  more  politic  O'Neil,  display  d  in  action 
all  the  fiery  energy  of  his  nature.  Under  his  banner  he  united 
almost  all  the  tribes  of  Ulster,  not  enlisted  with  O'Neil ;  while 


,  ill 


r 


i      1 


r  .!  i 


5i 


434 


I    ' 


!l 


POPULAR   HISTORT   OF   IRELAND. 


six  hundred  Scots,  led  by  MacLeod  of  Ara,  obeyed  his  com. 
niands.  He  first  descended  on  the  plains  of  Annally-O'FarreU 
(the  present  county  of  Longford),  driving  the  English  set- 
tlers before  him ;  he  next  visited  the  undertaker's  tenants  ia 
Connaught,  ejecting  them  from  Boyle  and  Ballymoate,  and  pur- 
suing them  to  the  gates  of  Tuam.  On  his  return  the  important 
town  and  castle  of  Sligo,  the  property  of  O'Connor,  then  in 
England,  submitted  to  him.  Sir  Richard  Bingham  endeavored 
to  recover  it,  but  was  beaten  off  with  loss.  O'Donnell,  finding 
it  cheaper  to  demolish  than  defend  it,  broke  down  the 
castle  and  returned  in  triumph  across  the  Erne.  * 

General  Norris,  having  arranged  his  plan  of  campaign  at 
Newry,  attempted  to  victual  Armagh,  besieged  by  O'Neil,  but 
was  repulsed  by  that  leader  after  a  severe  struggle.  He,  how- 
ever, succeeded  in  throwing  supplies  into  Monaghan,  where  a 
strong  garrison  was  quartered,  and  to  which  O'Neil  and  O'Donnell 
proce*- J.  td  to  lay  siege.  While  lying  before  Monaghan  they  re- 
ceived overtures  of  peace  from  the  Lord  Deputy,  who  continually 
disagreed  with  Sir  John  Norris  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  war,  and 
lost  no  opportunity  of  thwarting  his  plans.  He  did  not  now 
blush  to  address,  as  Earl  of  Tyrone,  the  man  he  had  lately  pro- 
claimed a  traitor  at  Dublin,  by  the  title  of  the  son  of  a  black- 
smith. The  Irish  loaders  at  the  outset  refused  to  meet  the 
Commissioners— Chief  Justice  Gardiner  and  Sir  Henry  Wallop, 
Treasurer-at-War,in  Dundalk,  bo  the  latter  were  compelled  to 
wait  on  them  in  the  camp  before  Monaghan.  The  terms 
demanded  by  O'Neil  and  O'Donnell,  including  entire  freedom 
of  religious  worship,  were  reserved  by  the  Commissioners  for 
the  consideration  of  the  council;  with  whose  sanction,  a  few 
V7eeks  afterwards,  all  the  Ulster  chiefs,  except "  the  Queen's 
O'Reilly,"  were  formally  tried  before  a  jury  at  Dublin,  and 
condemned  as  traitors. 

Monaghan  was  thrice  taken  and  retaken  in  this  campaign. 
It  was  on  the  second  return  of  General  Norris  from  that  town 
he  found  himself  unexpectedly  in  presence  of  O'Neil's  army, 
advantageously  posted  on  the  left  bank  of  the  little  stream  which 
waters  the  village  of  Clontibret.  Norris  rande  two  attempts 
to  force  the  passage,  but  without  success.    Sir  Thomas  Norris. 


POPULAR  HI3T0RT  OF  IRELAND. 


423 


and  the  general  himself,  were  wounded ;  Seagrave,  a  gigantic 
Meathian  cavalry  officer,  was  slain  in  a  hand  to  hand  encoun- 
ter with  O'Neil :  the  English  retreated  hastily  on  Newry,  and 
Monaghan  was  again  surrendered  to  the  Irish.    This  brilliant 
combat  at  Clontibret  closed  the  campaign  of  1595.    General 
Norris,  who,  like  Sir  John  Moore,  two  centuries  later,  com- 
manded the  respect,  and  frankly  acknowledged  the  wrongs  of 
the  people  against  whom  he  /ought,  employed  the  winter 
months  in  endeavoring  to  effect  a  reconciliation  between  O'Neil 
and  the  Queen's  Government.    He  had  conceived  a  warm  and 
chivalrous  regard  for  his  opponent;   for  he  could  not  deny 
that  he  had  been  driven  to  take  up  arms  in  self-defence.    At 
his  instance  a  royal  commission  to  treat  with  the  Earl  was 
issued,  and  the  latter  cheerfully  gave  them  a  meeting  in  an 
open  field  without  the  walls  of  Dundalk.    The  same  terns 
which  he  had  proposed  before  Monaghan  were  repeated  in  his 
ultimatum,  and  the  Commissioners  agreed  to  give  him  a  positive 
answer  by  the  2d  day  of  April.    On  that  day  they  attended  at 
Dundalk,  but  O'Neil  did  not  appear.    The  Commissioners  de- 
layed an  entire  fortnight,  addressing  him  in  the  interim  an 
urgent  remonstrance  to  come  in  and  conclude  their  negotiation. 
On  the  17th  of  the  month  they  received  his  reasons  for  break- 
ing oflf  the  treaty — the  principal  of  which  was,  that  the  truce 
had  been  repeatedly  broken  through  by  the  English  garrisons 
— and  so  the  campaign  of  1596  was  to  be  fought  with  renewed 
animosity  on  both  sides. 

Early  in  May  the  Lord  Deputy  made  another  descent  on 
Bali?  icor,  which  Peagh  Mac  Hugh  had  recovered  in  the  autumn 
to  lose  again  in  the  spring.  Though  worn  with  years  and  in- 
firm of  body,  the  Wicklow  chieftain  held  his  devoted  bands 
well  together,  and  kept  the  garrison  of  Dublin  constantly  on 
the  defensive.  In  the  new  chieftain  of  the  O'Moores  he  found 
at  this  moment  a  young  and  active  coadjutor.  In  an  affair  at 
Stradbally  Bridge,  O'Moore  obtained  a  considerable  victory, 
leaving  among  the  slain  Alexander  and  Francis  Cosby,  graad- 
Bons  of  the  commander  in  the  massacre  at  Mullaghmast. 

The  arrival  of  three  Spanish  frigates  with  arms  and  ammu- 
nition in  Donegal  Bay  was  welcome  news  to  the  Northern 


IV 


:i 


wr 


426 


POPUI.AR  HISTOIT  OF  ntELAKTO. 


CatholJcs.    They  were  delirered  to  O'Donnell  who  wan  Inces. 
Bantly  in  the  field,  while  O'Neil  was  again  undergoing  the  formi 
of  diplomacy  with  a  new  royal  commission  at  Dundalk.    He 
himself  disclaimed  any  correspondence  with  the  King  of  Spain, 
but  did  not  deny  that  such  negotiations  might  be  maintained 
by  others.    It  is  alleged  that,  while  many  of  the  chiefs  had 
signed  a  formal  invitation  to  the  Spanish  King  to  assume  their 
crown,  O'Neil  had  not  gone  beyond  verbal  assurances  of  co- 
operation with  them.     However  this  may  be,  he  resolved  that 
the  entire  season  should  not  be  wasted  in  words,  so  he  attacked 
the  strong  garrison  left  in  Armagh,  and  recovered  the  prima- 
tial  city.    According  to  the  Irish  practise,  he  dismantled  the 
fortress,  which,  however,  was  again  reconstructed  by  the 
English  before  the  end  of  the  war.    Some  other  skirmishes  of 
which  we  have  no  very  clear  account,  and  which  we  may  set 
down  as  of  no  decisive  character,  terminated  the  campaign. 

In  May,  1597,  Lord  Borough,  who  had  distinguished  himself 
Sn  the  Netherlands,  replaced  Russell  as  Lord  Deputy,  and 
assumed  the  command-in-chief,  in  place  of  Sir  John  Norris. 
Simultaneously  with  his  arrival  Feagh  Mac  Hugh  O'Byrne  was 
surprised  in  Glenmalure  by  a  detachment  from  Dublin,  and 
slain  ;  he  died  as  he  had  lived,  a  hero  and  a  free  man.    O'Neil . 
who  was  warmly  attached  to  the  Wicklow  chief,  immediately 
despatched  such  succor  as  he  could  spare  to  Peagh's  sons,  and 
promised  to  continue  to  them  the  friendship  he  had  always 
entertained  for  their  father.    Against  Tyrone  the  new  Lord 
Deputy  now  endeavored  to  combine  all  the  military  resources 
at  his  disposal.    Towards  the  end  of  July,  Sir  Conyers  Clifford 
was  ordered  to  muster  the  available  force  of  Connaught  at 
Boyle,  and  to  march  into  Sligo  and  Donegal.    A  thousand  men 
of  the  Anglo-Irish  were  assembled  at  Mullingar,  under  the 
command    of  young    Barnewell    of   Trimbleston,   who    was 
instructed  to  effect  a  junction  with  the  main  force  upon  the 
borders  of  Ulster.    The  Lord  Deputy,  marching  in  force  from 
Drogheda,  penetrated,  unopposed,  the  valley  of  the  Black- 
water,  and  entered  Armagh.    Prom  Armagh  he  moved   to 
the  relief  of  the  Blackwater  fort,  besieged  by  O'Neil.    At  a 
place    called    Drumfliuch,    where    Battleford    Bridge    noik 


II 


POPULAR  HISTORY  OP   IRELAND. 


48^ 


itands,  Tyrone  contrived  to  draw  hJs  enemies  Into  an  en- 
gagement  on  very  disadvantageous  ground.    The  result  waa 
a  severe  defeat  to  the  new  Deputy,  who,  a  few  days  after- 
wards,  died  of  his  wounds  at  Newry,  as  his  second  in  command, 
the  Earl  of  Kildare,  did  at  Drogheda.    Sir  Pra^^cis  Vaujrhan 
Sir  Thomas  Waller,  and  other  distinguished  officers,  fell  in  the 
came  action,  but  the  fort,  the  main  prize  of  the  combatants 
remamed  in  English  hands  till  the  foUoiving  year.    O'Donnell 
wrth  equal  success,  held  Ballyshannon,  compelled  Sir  Conyers 
Clifford  to  raise  the  siege  with  the  loss  of  the  Earl  of  Thomond 
and  a  large  part  of  his  following.    Simultaneously,  Captain 
Richard  Tyrrell,  of  Westmeath-one  of  O'Neil's  favorite  offl. 
cers-having  laid  an  ambuscade  for  young  Bamewell  at  the 
pass  in  Westmeath  which  now  bears  his  name,  the  Meathian 
regiment  were  sabred  to  a  man.    Mullingar  and  Maryborough 
were  taken  and  sacked,  and  in  the  North,  Sir  John  Chichester, 
Governor  of  Carrickfergus,  was  cut  off  with  his  troop  by  Mac- 
Donald  of  the  Glens. 

These  successes  synchronize  exactly  with  the  expectation 
of  a  second  Spanish  Armada,  which  filled  Elizabeth  with  her 
old  apprehensions.    Philip  was  persuaded  again  to  tempt  the 
fortune  of  the  seas,  and  towards  the  end  of  October  his  fleet, 
under  the  Adelantado  of  Castillo,  appeared  off  the  Scilly 
Islands,  with  a  view  to  secure  the  Isle  of  Wight,  or  some  other 
station,  from  which  to  operate  an  invasion  the  ensuing  spring. 
Extraordinary  means  were  taken  for  defence;   the" English 
troops  in  Prance  were  recalled,  new  levies  raised,  and  the 
Queen's  favorite,  the  young  Earl  of  Essex,  appointed  to  com- 
mand the  fleet,  with  Raleigh  and  Lord  Thomas  Howard  as 
ViC8-Admirals.    But  the  elements  again  fought  for  the  north- 
ern island ;  a  storm  which  s.vept  the  channel  for  weeks  drove 
the  English  ships  into  their  ports,  but  scattered  those  of  Spain 
over  the  Bay  of  Biscay.    In  this  second  expedition  sailed 
Florence  Conroy,  and  other  Irish  exiles,  who  had  maintained 
for  years  a  close  correspondence  with  the  Catholic  leaders. 
Their  presence  in  the  fleet,  the  existence  of  the  correspond- 
ence,  and  the  progress  of  the  revolt  itself,  will  sufficiently 
account  for  the  apparent  vacillations  of  English  policy  io 


P  *♦.' 


r,  *'\ 


I?  m 


I 


428 


POPCn.AR  HISTORY  OF  IRELAND. 


Ulster  in  the  last  months  of  1597.  Shortly  before  Christ maa, 
Ormond,  now  Lord  Lieutenant,  accompanied  by  the  Earl  of 
ThomojTl,  at»rtnded  onjy  by  their  personal  followers,  visited 
Dunpirinoi)  and  remained  three  days  in  conference  with  O'Neil 
and  O'DoniM  U.  The  Irish  chiefs  reiterated  their  old  demands : 
freedom  of  worship  and  the  retention  of  the  substantial  power 
attached  to  their  ancient  rank.  They  would  admit  Sheriffs, 
if  they  were  chosen  from  among  natives  of  their  counties,  but 
they  declined  to  givo  ^  ta  ;  s  out  of  their  own  families. 
These  terms  were  referred  to  the  Queen's  consideration,  who, 
after  much  protocoling  to  and  fro,  finally  ratified  them  the 
following  April,  and  affixed  the  great  seal  to  O'Neil's  pardon. 
But  Tyrone,  guided  by  intelligence  received  from  Spain  or 
England,  or  both,  evaded  the  royal  messenger  charged  to 
deliver  him  that  instrument,  and  as  the  lato  truce  expired 
the  first  week  of  June,  devoted  himself  anew  to  military 
preparations. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1598,  the  Council  at  Dublin  were  in  a 
Btate  of  fearful  perplexity.  O'Neil,  two  days  after  the  expiration 
of  the  truce,  invested  the  fort  on  the  Blackwater,  and  seemed  re- 
solved to  reduce  it,  if  not  by  force,  by  famine.  O'Donnell,  as 
usual,  was  operating  on  the  side  of  Connaught,  where  he  had 
brought  back  O'Ruarc,  O'Conor  Sligo,  and  McDermot,  to  the 
Confederacy,  from  which  they  had  been  for  a  season  estranged. 
Tyrrell  and  O'Moore,  loading  spirits  in  the  midland  counties, 
were  ravaging  Ormond's  palatinate  of  Tipperary  almost  without 
opposition.  An  English  reinforcement,  debarked  at  Dun- 
garvan,  was  attacked  on  its  march  towards  Dublin,  and  lost 
400  men.  In  this  emergency,  before  which  even  the  iron 
nerve  of  Ormond  quailed,  the  Council  took  the  resolution  of 
ordering  one  moiety  of  the  Queen's  troops  under  Ormond  to 
inarch  south  against  Tyrrell  and  O'Moore ;  the  other  under 
Marshal  Bagnal,  to  proceed  northward  to  the  relief  of  th« 
Blackwater  fort.  Ormond's  campaign  was  brief  and  in- 
glorious. After  suffering  a  severe  check  in  Leix,  he  shut 
himself  up  in  Kilkenny,  where  he  heard  of  the  disastrous  fate 
of  Bagnal's  expedition. 

On  Sunday,  the  13th  of  August,  the  Marshal  reached  NewrJ 


POPn^R   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


42ft 


With  some  trifling  loss  from  skirmishes  on  the  route.    He  had 
with  him,  by  the  best  accounts,  six  regin.ent«  of  'nfantry,  nura- 
bermg  in  all  about  4.000  men  and  850  horse.    After  resting  a 
day  his  whole  force  marched  out  of  the  city  in  three  divisions  ; 
Uie   first  under  the  command  of  the  Marshal     nd   Colonel 
Percy,  the  cavalry  under  Sir  Calisthenes  Brooke  and  Captains 
Mon.nrr,,e  and  Fleming;  the  rear  guard  under  Sir  Thomas 
Wingflold  and  Colonel  Cosby.    The  Irish,   whose   numbers 
both  mounted  and  afoot  somewhat  exceeded  the  Marshal's 
force,  but  who  were  not  so  well  armed,  had  taken  up  a  strong 
position  at  Ballinaboy  ('« the  Yellow  ford"),  about  two  milos 
north   of    Armagh.    With  O'Neil  were   O'Donnell,    Maguire 
and  McDonnell  of  Antrim-all  approved  leaders  beloved  by 
their  men.  O'Neil  had  neglected  no  auxiliary  means  of  strength- 
enmg  the  position.    In  front  of  his  lines  he  dug  deep  trenches 
covered  over  with  green  sods,  supported  by  twi4,s  and  branches. 
The  pass  leading  into  this  plain  was  lined  by  600  kerne,  whose 
Parthian  warfare  was  proverbial.  He  had  reckoned  on  the  head- 
long  and  boastful  disposition  of  his  opponent,  and  the  result 
showed  his  accurate  knowledge  of  character.  Bagnal's  first  divi- 
sion,  veterans  from  Brittany  and  Flanders,  including  600  curas- 
Biers  in  complete  armor,  armed  with  lances  nine  feet  long,  dashed 
into  the  pass  before  the  second  and  third  divisions  had  time  to 
come  up.    The  kerne  poured  in  their  rapid  volleys ;  many  of 
the  English  fell;  the  pass  was  yielded,  and  the  whole  power 
of  Bagnal  debouched  into  the  plain.    His  artiUery  now  thun- 
dered upon  O'Neil's  trenches,  and  the  cavalry,  with  the  plain 
before  them,  were  ordered  to  charge;   but  they  soon  came 
upon  the  concealed  pitfalls,  horses  fell,  riders  were  thrown 
and  confusion  8[  read  among   the  squadron.     Then  it  was 
O'Neil  in  turn  gave  the  signal  to  charge;  himself  led  on  the 
centre,  O'Donnell  the  left,  and  Maguire,  famous  for  horseman, 
ship,  the  Irish  horse.    The  overthroTV  of  the  English  was  com- 
plete, and  the  victory  most  eventful.    The  Marshal,  23  superiof 
officers,  with  about  1,700  of  the  rank  and  file  fe  I  on  the  field, 
While  all  the  artillery  baggage  and  12  stand  of  colois  were 
taken :  the  Irish  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  did  not  exceed 
800  men.    "  It  was  a  glorious  victory  for  the  rebels,"  says  the 


kU 


V3. 


■JSf 


!       ) 


180 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND, 


cotpfnporary  English  historian,  Camden,  "  and  of  special  ad. 
vantage :  for  hereby  they  got  arms  and  prorisions,  and  Ty- 
rone's name  was  cried  up  all  over  Ireland  as  the  author  of 
their  liberty."  It  may  also  be  added  that  it  attracted  renewed 
attention  to  the  Irish  war  at  Paris,  Madrid,  and  Rome,  where 
the  names  of  O'Neil  and  O'Donnell  were  spoken  of  by  all  zeal- 
ous Catholics  with  enthusiastic  admiration. 

The  battle  was  over  by  noon  of  the  15th  of  Augujst ;  and  the 
only  effort  to  arrest  the  flight  of  the  survivors  was  made  by 
"  the  Queen's  O'Reilly,"  who  was  slain  in  the  attempt.     By 
one  o'clock  the  remnant  of  the  cavalry  under  Montague  were 
In  full  career  for  Dundalk,  closely  pressed  by  the  mounted 
men  of  O'Hanlon.    During  the  ensuing  week  the  Blackwater 
fort  capitulated ;  the  Protestant  garrison  of  Armagh  surren- 
dered ;  and  were  allowed  to  march  south,  leaving  their  arms 
and  ammunition  behind.     The  panic  spread  far  and  wide  ;  the 
citizqns  of  Dublin  were  enrolled  to  defend  their  walls ;  Lord 
Ormond  continued  shut  up  in  Kilkenny  ;  O'Mooreand  Tyrrell, 
who  entered  Munster  by  O'Neil's  order,  to  kindle  the  elements 
of  resistance,  compelled  the  Lord  President  to  retire  from  Kil- 
mallockto  Cork.    O'Donnell  established  his  headquarters  at 
BalJymoate,  a  dozen  miles  south  of  Sligo,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased from  the  chieftain  of  Corran  for  £400  and  300  cowb. 
The  castle  had  served  for  thirteen  years  as  an  English  strong- 
hold, and  was  found  staunch  enough  fifty  years  later  to  with- 
stand the  siege  trains  of  Coote  and  Ludlow.    From  this  point 
the  Donegal  chieftain  was  enabled  to  stretch  his  arm  in  every 
direction  over  lower  Connaught.     The  result  was,  that  I -fore 
the  end  of  the  year  1598,  nearly  all  the  inhabitants  of  Clanrick- 
arde  and  the  surrounding  districts  were  induced,  either  from 
policy  or  conviction,  to  give  in  their  adhesion  to  the  Northern 
Confederacy, 


fOPUUB  HiSTORr   or  IHILAND. 


iV 


III 
il 


CHARTER  IX. 

The  last  favorite  of  tl.e  many  who  enjoyed  the  foolish,  if 
not  gu.lty,  tavors  of  Elizabeth  was  Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of 
Essex,  son  of  that  unfortunate  nobleman  spoken  of  in  a  pre- 
BoZ  ;^„''^P;«;^'"^"- ''"-lertaker"  of  Farney  and  Clandel.oy. 

hno.     .       J'  ''"''  '*'  l>arely  reached  the  age  of  marl 

hood  when  he  won  the  heart  of  hi.  royal  mistress,  already 
verg'ng  on  three  score.  Gifted  by  nature  with  a  handsome 
per  on.  undoubted  courage,  and  many  generous  qualities,  he 
exhibited,  m  the  most  important  transactions  of  life  the  reok- 
essness  of  a  madman  and  the  levity  of  a  spoiled  child ;  it  was 

Zr   .    .  r  """"'^  ''"'  ""''^•"^  '''''''  «^  ^h«  P-««"al  fasci- 
nation  which  he  exercised  over  the  Queen  could  so  long  have 

preserved  h.m  from  the  consequences  of  his  continual  caprices 

and  quarrels.    Such  was  the  character  of  the  young  nobleman. 

who.  as  was  afterwards  said,  at  the  instigation  of  his  enemies 

vas  sent  over  to  restore  the  ascendancy  of  the  English  armi 

n  the  revolted  prorinces.     His  appointment  was  to  last  during 

the  Queen  8  pleasure ;  he  was  provided  with  an  army  of  20,00C 

foot  and  2,000  horse;   three-fourths  of  the  ordinary  annual 

revenue  of  England  (£340.000  out  of  £450,000)  was  placed  at 

his  disposal,  and  the  largest  administrative  powers,  civil  and 

mditary,  were  conferred  on  him.    A  new  plan  of  campaign  in 

Ulster  w^  decided  upon  at  the  royal  council  table,  and  Sir 

Samuel  Bagnal.  brother  of  the  late  Marshal,  and  other  expe- 

nenced  officers  were  to  precede  or  accompany  him  to  carry  it 

into  execution.    The  main  feature  of  this  plan  was  to  get  pos- 

session  by  sea  and  strongly  fortify  Ballyshannon,  Donegal 

perry,  and  the  entrance  to  the  Foyle,  so  as  to  operate  at  oLe 

m  the  rear  of  the  northern  chiefs,  as  well  as  along  the  ofd 

famibur  base  of  Newry,  Monaghan.  and  Armagh. 


^! 


f  J 


.1  yr: 


432 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OF  IRELAKD. 


i 

mm 
ill 


I 

iUli 


I 


m 


ml 


r'l 


11 


Essex  on  he}  -g  sworn  into  oflBce  at  Dublin,  on  the  lBt?i  of 
April,  1599.  immeviiately  issued  a  proclamation  offering  pardon 
aud  restoration  of  property  to  such  of  the  Irish  as  would  lay 
down  their  arms  by  a  given  day,  but  very  few  persons  re- 
sponded to  this  invitation.    He  next  despatched  reinforce- 
ments to  the  garrisons  of  Wicklow  and  Naas,  menaced  by  the 
O'Moores  and  O'Byrnes,  and  to  those  of  Drogheda,  Dundalk, 
Newry,  and    Carrickfergus,   the    only  northern    stronghold* 
remaining  in  possession  of  the  Queen.    The  principal  opera- 
tions, it  had  been  agreed  bafore  he  left  England,  were  to  b* 
directed  against  Ulster,  but  with  the  waywardness  which  always 
accompanied  him,  he  disregarded  that  arrangement,  and  set 
forth,  at  the  head  of  7,000  men,  for  the  opposite  quarter.    He 
was  accompanied  in  this  march  by  the  Earls  of  Clanrickarda 
and  Thomond,  Sir  Conyers  Cliffbrd,  Governor  of  Connaught, 
and  O'Conor  of  Sligo,  the  only  native  chief  who  remained  in  the 
English  ranks.    In  Ormond  he  received  the  submission  of 
Lord  Mountgarrett,  son-in-law  t'»  Tyrone,  and  took  the  strong 
castle  of  Cahir  from  another  of  the  insurgent  Butlers.    After 
a  halt  at  Limerick,  he  set  out  against  the  Geraldines,  who  the 
previous  year  had  joined  the  Northern  league,  at  the  instance 
of  Tyrrell  and  O'Moore.    Although  the  only  heir  of  the  Earl 
of  Desmond  was  a  prisoner,  or  ward  of  Elizabeth  in  England, 
James  Fitzgerald,  son  of  Thomas  Roe,  son  of  the  XVth  Earl  by 
that  marriage  which  had  been  pronounced  invalid,  assumed 
the  title  at  the  suggestion  of  ONeil,  and  was  recognized  ' a 
the  Desmond  by  the  greater  portion  of  the  relatives  of  that 
family.    Fitzmaurice,  Lord  of  Lixnaw,  the  Knight  of  Glynn, 
the  White  Knight,  the  Lord  Roche,  Pierce  Lacy  of  Buree  and 
Bruff,  the  last  descendant  of  Hugh  de  Lacy  and  the  daughter 
of   Roderick    O'Connor,  with    the  McCarthys,   O'Donohoes, 
O'Sullivans,  Condons,  and  other    powerful    tribes,   were    all 
astir  to  the  number,  as  Carew  supposes,  of  8,000  men,  all 
emulous  of  their  compatriots  in  the  North.     Issuing  from 
Limerick,  Essex  marched  southward  to  strengthen  the  strong- 
hold of  Askeaton,  into  whicli  he  succeeded,  after  a  severe 
Bkirmish  by  the  way,  in  throwing  supplies.    Proceeding  to 
victual  Adare,  he  experienced  a  similar  check,  losing  among 


inifi 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


433 


.  hers  S,r  Henry  Norris,  the  third  of  those  hrave  brothers  vrho 
had  fallen  a  victim  to  these  Iriah  wars.  In  return  Lt" 
Dublm,  by  way  of  Waterford  and  Kildare,  he  .as  assailed  bv 
0  Moore  at  a  difficult  defile,  which,  to  this  day.  is  IcnowT^  l' ish 
as  the  pass  of  the  plumes"  or  feathers.  The  Earl  forced  a 
L:;TorblL""^^^  ^""—  BO  returned  wl^t: 
We^sf  wf  ,  "^"'^'^J"^^^^"*  «f  the  year  transpired  in  the 

a    the  En  J"^^ T     f  "f  *'  '^^  ®'^'^^^-    »«  ^^^^  ^«-  lately 
at  the  Enghsh  Court,  where  he  was  treated  with  the  highest 

dis  ;net,on  in  order  thai  he  might  be  used  to  imp.de  otn 

nell  s  growmg  power  in  lower  Connaught.    On  returning  home 

.'7c:traTco?^'^''' 'J  ^'^  ^°"^^^^  ^^^^^  -  ^'-^  --^n! 

ng  castle  at  Colooney,  within  five  miles  of  Sligo.  Essex  on 
learnmg  this  fact,  ordered  Sir  Conyers  Clifford  to  march  to'tho 
rehef  of  (.Conor  with  all  the  po...  he  could  mustT  Cliff  rd 
despatched  from  Galway,  by  sea,  stores  and  materials  for  the 
r  for  ification  of  Sligo  town,  and  set  out  himself  at  the  head 
of  2  100  men.  drafted  from  both  sides  of  the  Shannon  under 
wenty^fiveen^ns.    He  had  under  him  Sir  Alexander  Eal 

ThS  f;.      ^  ''"^''"'  ^"'  ''''''  -P---d  officers. 
The  r  rendezvous    as  usual,  was  the  old  monastic  town  of 

Boyle,  about  a  day's  march  to  the  south  of  Sligo.  -From 

Bo>ie,  the  highway  led  into  the  Curlieu  mountarns.  which 

divide  Shgo  on  the  south-east  from  Roscommon.    Her;  in  he 

8  rong    ass  of  Ballaghboy,  O'Donnell  with  the  main  body  of 

h,s  followers  awaited  theJr  approach.    He  had  left  the  remain- 

der,  under  his  cousin  and  brother-in-law,  Nial  Garve  SZ 

rorcgh),  to  maintain  the  siege  of  Colooney  Castle.    O'Ruarc 

and  the  men  of  Breffni  joined  him  during  the  battle,  but  the 

Ton  of  Tr  I       /':  ''^''^-    ^'  ""^^  '^«  ^'^  ''  '^^  Assump- 
tion of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  the  first  anniversary  of  the 

great  victory  of  the  Yellow  Ford.    The  night  was  spolt  by  the 

Insh  xn  fasting  and  prayer,  the  early  morning  in  hearing  m1 

and  receiving  tl.e  Holy  Communion.    The  day  was  IrZ' 

vanced  when  the  head  of  Clifford's  column  appeared  t    he 

defile,  driving  in  a  barricade  erected  at  its  enti-ance.    Th. 


Rl 


1  ! 

•  I 


:4 


mm 


V\ 


tlf^' 


^itrtim-ww 


184 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP  IRELAND. 


ll       ! 


m 


defenders,  according  to  orders,  discharged  their  javelins  aud 
muskets,  and  fell  back  farther  into  the  gorge.  The  English 
advanced  twelve  abreast,  through  a  piece  of  woodland,  after 
which  the  road  crossed  a  patch  of  bog.  Here  the  thick  of  the 
battle  was  fought.  Sir  Alexander  Radcliffe,  who  led  the  van- 
guard, fell  early  in  the  action,  and  his  divisron  falling  back  on 
the  centre  threw  them  all  into  confusion.  O'Ruarc  arriving 
with  his  men  at  the  critical  moment  completed  the  rout,  and 
pursued  the  fugitives  to  the  gates  of  Boyle.  The  gallant 
Clifford,  scorning  to  fly,  was  found  among  the  slain,  and  hon- 
orably interred  by  his  generous  enemies  in  the  monastery  of 
Lough  Key.  On  his  head  being  shown  to  O'Conor  at  Colooney, 
he  at  once  surrendered  to  O'Donnell,  and  entered  into  the 
Northern  Confederacy.  Theobald  Burke,  the  commander  of 
the  vessels  sent  round  from  Galway  to  fortify  Sligo,  also  sub- 
mitted to  O'Donnell,  and  was  permitted  to  return  to  the  port 
from  which  he  had  lately  sailed,  with  very  different  intentions. 

Essex,  whose  mind  was  a  prey  to  apprehension  from  his 
enemies  in  England,  had  demanded  reinforcements  before  he 
could  undertake  anything  against  Ulster.  It  seems  hardly 
credible  that  the  15,000  regular  troops  in  the  country  at  his 
coming  should  be  mostly  taken  up  with  garrison  duty,  yet  we 
cannot  otherwise  account  for  their  disappearance  from  the 
field.  He  asked  for  2,000  fresh  troops,  and  vhile  awaiting 
their  arrival,  sent  a  detachment  of  600  men  into  Wicklow,  who 
were  repulsed  with  loss  by  Phelim,  son  of  Feagh,  the  new 
Chief  of  the  O'Byrnes.  Essex  was  thrown  into  transports  ol 
rage  at  this  new  loss.  The  officers  who  retreated  were  tried 
by  court  martial,  and,  contrary  to  his  usually  generous  temper, 
the  surviving  men  were  inhumanly  decimated. 

Early  in  September,  the  reinforcement  he  had  asked  for  ar- 
riv(;d  with  a  bitterly  reproachful  letter  from  the  Queen.  Ha 
now  hastened  to  make  a  demonstration  against  Tyrone,  al 
though,  from  some  cause  unexplained,  he  does  not  seem  to 
have'drawn  out  the  whole  force  at  his  disposal.  From  Newry 
he  proceeded  northward  towards  Carrickfergus,  with  only 
1,300  foot  and  300  horse.  On  the  high  ground  to  the  north  of 
the  river  Lagan,  overlooking  Anaghclart  Bridge,  he  found  the 


POPULAR    HISTORY    OF    IRELAND  435 

thus  for  aa Vr  eCed  JIT  ""  '"  ""  """'^  ^'"•''  -•> 
lishmin  rt.     •   *'''""°''  '»  *»  generons  bnt  impulsive  Em- 

ofstate.thejud.es  andonehrfV.  ^""''^"^   "^^^'^ 

Irish  by  birth    "Th;,  5  ^'  ""^^  '^^"^'^  ''^  f"*"''^  l>e 

Another  upbraiding  letter  fro.  ^la  eth  '^Lh  a^  td",:^ 
on  his  return  to  Dublin,  drove  Esses  to  fhTT         ! 
tion  of  presenting  himself  befnr«T      \^    desperate  resolu- 
short  remainder  Of  WsL^^^^^^^^^^  the 

Towerin  February  IfioVTi^,    T^^''^''  execution  in  the 
a.e..i,ia:reT.er;C— :  --«  — "»»' 
I"  P7««"ting  SO  comprehensive  an  Ultimatum  to  Essex  O'Ne.l 
Pb.hp  II    the  hfe-long  friend  of  the  Catholics,  had.  indeed  dild 

p;Z  m  tr  t^"  '".^  ^"^  ^^  ''^^  «^«^  -^«  ^^^^-^^^^^^^^ 

ch  ;f;     hat  ie"        M    ''"^  '"'°^''  '"*^  r^-^^^"'^.  «««"Hnc.  its 

Ana.hclar    a  1-;^*        .     ^^   ^'^^''   ^^"  conference   at 
Ana^nciait,  a  third  Armada,  under  the  Adelantadn  of  Oncfi 

<^sawai„„,„rae.i„  tUeport  of  Co,.„„„a  "C'e„:  a  J  S 

toe  tb.rd  fma  ,»  ten  yea™,  was  placed  i.  .  p„.t„o  oFdefenca! 


r 


*  t* 


I 

! 
,        I 

.•      i 


;Ki 


1^ 


j;i 


li 


m 


11 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF    IRELAND. 


The  Spaniards  sailed,  but  soon  divided  into  two  squadrons,  one 
of  which  passed  down  the  British  Channel  unobserved,  and 
anchored  in  the  waters  of  the  Sluys,  while  the  other  sailed  for 
the  Canaries  to  intercept  the  Hollanders.  At  the  same  time, 
however,  most  positive  assurances  were  renewed  that  an  aux- 
iliary force  might  shortly  be  expected  to  land  in  Ireland  in 
aid  of  the  Catholics.  The  non-arrival  of  this  force  during 
the  fortunate  camjjaign  of  1599  was  not  much  felt  by  the 
Catholics,  and  was  satisfactorily  explained  by  Philip's  envoys 
-^but  the  mere  fact  of  the  existence  of  the  Spanish  alliance 
gave  additional  confidence  and  influence  to  the  Confederates. 
That  fact  was  placed  beyond  all  question  by  the  arrival  of  two 
Spanish  ships  laden  with  stores  for  O'Neil,  immediately  after 
the  interview  with  Essex.  In  the  summer  or  autumn  ensuing, 
Mathew,  Ox"  Oviedo,  a  Spaniard,  consecrated  at  Rome,  Archbi- 
shop of  Dublin,  brought  over  22,000  crowns  towards  the  pay  of 
the  Irish  troops,  and  a  year  afterwards,  Don  Martin  de  la 
Cerdft  was  sent  to  reside  as  envoy  with  Tyrone. 

The  year  1600  was  employed  by  Hugh  O'Neil,  after  the 
manner  of  his  ancestors,  who  were  candidates  for  the  King- 
ship of  Tara,  in  a  visitation  of  the  Provinces.  Having  first 
planted  strong  garrisons  on  the  southern  passes  leading  into 
Ulster,  he  marched  at  the  head  v-)f  3,000  men  into  Westmeath, 
where  he  obliged  Lord  Delvin  and  Sir  Theobald  Dillon  to  join 
the  Confederation.  From  Keath  he  marched  to  Ely,  whose 
chief  he  punished  for  a  late  act  of  treachery  to  some  Ulstei 
Boldiei-s  invited  to  his  assistance.  From  Ely  he  turned  aside  to 
venerate  the  relic  of  the  Holy  Cross,  at  Thurles,  and  being 
there  he  granted  his  protection  to  the  great  Morastory  buill 
by  Donald  More  O'Brien.  At  Cashel  he  was  joined  by  the 
Geraldine,  whom  he  had  caused  to  be  recognized  as  Earl  of 
Desmond.  Desmond  and  his  supporters  accompanied  him 
through  Limerick  into  Cork,  quartering  their  retainers  on  the 
lands  of  their  enemies,  but  sparing  their  friends  ;  the  Earl  of 
Ormond  with  a  corps  of  observation  moving  on  a  parallel  hne 
of  march,  but  carefully  avoiding  a  collision.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  March  the  Catholic  army  halted  at  Inniscarra,  upon 
the  river  Lee,  about  five  miles  west  of  Cork.    Hero  O'Neil 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND.  iSI 

McCarthy  "  liir«  Qn^.i  y.-  i,     ,    «""ivan,  i.  ^rd  of  Bearehaven. 
any  ./his  house  "L;t"   ^  *°  "-" -^  »h«"Mera  tan 

aceompanied  only  by  a  Priest  and  fwn ^  ^      Maguire, 

obse„a.<,„s  near^e  Jo  .hVCltX":ier8rw::* 
h™  St.  Leger,  Marshal  of  Mnnster,  issued  ou  If  Cort      ,u 
company  of  soldiers,  probably  on  »  7  •,         .  "'*  * 

were  in  adyance  of  tLulZs  Z^l.r'"''-  """' 
pectedly  face  to  face.  Both  were  ftmou"  fll  '=™''  '""'" 
for  the  nsa  of  tt„:,.  "»mous  as  horsemen  and 

step.      The  Irish     h]lr°"- ""'.""*'''  "°"'*  ™"-'"=<'  ■->•» 
bnck  to  Cork  where  he  expTrldMn.r  "''''"' '"''-'^ 

at  Dublin  oblirdTl^'n  ?       !  "''"  ^'P^'^'  '"^^^^^  «^«^n  i" 
.'  .TKiad      ;!     "1    ^^'^  ^"^  '^*"^"^  home  earlier  than  he  in- 

™e:rxr:itrxhi— -^^^^^^^ 

ffign  Pontiff.  regarded  by  the  Sove- 


I  p,,i 


sivi^am 


438 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF    IRELAND. 


A  new  Deputy  had  landed  at  Howth  on  the  24th  of  Pe< 
bruary,  1600,  and  was  sworn  in  at  Dublin  the  day  following, 
This  was  Charles  Blount,  Lord  Mountjoy,  afterwards  Earl  of 
Devonshire,  a  nobleman  now  in  his  37th  year.  He  had  been 
the  rival,  the  enemy,  and  the  devoted  friend  of  the  unfortu- 
nate Essex,  whom  he  equalled  in  pei-sonal  gifts,  in  courage,- 
and  in  gallantry,  but  far  exceeded  in  judgment,  firmness,  and 
foresight.  He  was  one  of  a  class  of  soldier-statesmen,  peculiar 
to  the  second  half  of  Elizabeth's  reign,  who  affected  author- 
ship and  the  patronage  of  letters  as  a  necessary  complement 
to  the  manners  of  a  courtier  and  commander.  On  the  2d  of 
April,  Monntjoy,  still  at  Dublin,  wrote  to  her  Majesty  that  the 
army  had  taken  heart  since  his  arrival,  that  he  had  no  fear  of 
the  loss  of  the  country,  but  was  more  anxious  for  Connaught 
than  any  other  Province.  He  deplored  the  capture  of  Lord 
Urm*itod  by  the  O'Moores,  but  hoped,  if  God  prospered  her 
arms  <'uring  tho  summer,  either  "to  bow  or  to  break  the 
crooked  humors  of  these  people."  The  three  succeeding 
years  of  peace  granted  to  England — interrupted  only  ^y  the 
mad  emeuie  of  Essex,  and  the  silly  intrigues  of  the  King  of 
Scotland — enabled  Elizabeth  to  direct  all  the  energies  of  the 
State,  which  had  so  immensely  increased  in  wealth  during  her 
reign,  for  the  subjugation  of  the  Irish  revolt. 

The  capture  of  Ormond  by  the  O'Moores  took  place  in  the 
month  of  April,  at  a  place  called  Corroneduff,  in  an  interviiew 
between  the  Earl,  the  President  of  Munster,  and  Lord  Tho- 
mond,  on  the  one  part,  and  the  Leinster  Chief  on  the  other. 
Ormond,  who  stood  out  from  his  party,  had  asked  to  see  the 
famous  Jesuit,  Father  Archer,  then  with  O'Moore.  The  Priest 
advanced  leanih^  on  his  staff,  which,  in  the  heat  of  a  discus- 
sion that  arose,  he  raised  once  or  twice  in  the  air.  The 
clansmen,  suspecting  danger  to  the  Jesuit,  rushed  forward  and 
tlragged  the  Earl  from  his  horse.  Lord  Thomond  and  the 
President,  taking  the  alarm,  plied  their  spurs,  and  were  but 
too  glad  to  escape.  Ormond  remained  a  prisoner  from  April 
to  June,  during  which  interval  he  was  received  by  Archer 
Into  the  Church,  to  which  he  firmly  adhered  till  the  day  of  hii 
death.    On  bis  liberation  he  entered  into  bonds  for  X3,000  not 


M 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


489 


f^r  w.n7^  .  '  ^T  ^"^"'^"'^  *°"^  ^«"S«««<^«  fo^  him.  The 
rTv^r.  1:  ""?  ^^"-«'^^«--'«d  l«^d  of  Leix  was  cruelly 

ravaged   immediately  aft«r  Ormond's  relea.e-the  common 

^10,000  and  upwards,"  and  the  brave  chJef.  Owny,  son  of 
Rory  having  mcautiously  exposed  him^lf  in  an  attack  on 
Maryborough,  was,  on  the  17th  of  August,  killed  by  a  musket 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  twofold  operations  against  Ulster,  neglected  by  Essex 

On  the  16th  of  May,  a  fleet  arrived  in  Lough  Fovle  having  L 
board  4^000  foot  and  200  horse,  under  the  Immand  :?s" 
Henry  Dowcra,  with  abundance  of  stores,  building  materials 
and  ordnance     At  il^e  same  moment,  the  Deputy  forced  Z' 
Moira  pass,  and  made  a  feigned  demonstration  against  Armagh 
to  draw  attention  from  the  fleet  in  the  Poyle.     This  feint  served 
It.  purpose ;  D.wcra  was  enabled  to  land  and  throw  up  de- 
fensive  works  at  bei^^  which  be  made  his  headquarter,  to 

600  men,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Atford.  and  to  seize 
the  ancient  fort  of  Aileach.  at  the  head  of  Lough   Swilly 
where  Captain  Ellis  Flood  wps  stationed  with  150  men     Th^' 
attempt  against  Ballyshannon  was.  on  a  nearer  view.' found 

odgment  had  been  made  upo«  Lough  Foyle.  retired  to  Dub- 

TZ  'Zu'^'''^  ^^'  ^^'^'^^"^  ^^  N^^^J^'  Carlingford  and 
1  undalk.     The  Catholic  chieftains  immediately  turned  their 

Tw-Trr  ^'n        "'"^  ^''''  '*  ^'''^'  '^P^^^'-^^  ««<Jdenly  before 
It  w.th  6.000  men.  but  failing  to  draw  out  ite  defenders,  and 


i 


it 


t% 


t     I 


440 


POPUT^R  HISTORY   OF  IRELAND. 


ill  .  fi 


ii    I 


being  wholly  unprovided  with  a  siege  train  and  implem<^nts— • 
as  they  appear  to  have  been  throughout — they  withdrew  the 
second  day,  O'Donnell  leaving  a  party  in  hopes  to  starve  out 
the  foreigners.  This  party  were  under  the  command  of 
O'Doherty,  of  Innishowen,  and  Nial  Garve  O'Donnell,  the  most 
distinguished  soldier  of  his  name,  after  his  illustrious  cousin 
and  chief.  On  the  28th  of  June,  a  party  of  the  besieged, 
headed  by  Sir  John  Chamberlaine,  made  a  sally  from  the 
works,  but  were  driven  in  with  loss,  and  Chamberlaine  killed. 
On  the  29th  of  July,  O'Donnell,  who  had  returned  from  his 
annual  incursion  into  Connaught  and  Thomond,  seized  the 
English  cavalrv  horses,  and  defeated  the  main  force  of  the 
besieged,  wh'  '  issued  out  to  their  rescue.  From  this  affair 
Dowcra  was  (        ad  back  wounded  into  Derry. 

But  treason  was  busy  in  the  Irish  camp  and  country  among 
the  jdiscontented  members  of  the  neighboring  elans.  The 
election  of  chiefs  for  life,  always  a  fruitful  source  of  bicker- 
ing and  envy,  supplied  the  very  material  upon  which  "  the 
princely  policie"  of  division,  recommended  by  Bacon  to  Essex, 
might  be  exercised.  Dowcra  succeeded  in  the  summer  in  win- 
ning over  Art  O'Neil,  son  of  Turlogh,  the  early  adversary  of 
the  great  Hugh ;  before  the  year  was  over,  by  bribes  and 
promises,  he  seduced  Nial  Garve,  in  the  absence  f  bis  chief 
in  Connaught,  and  Nial,  having  once  entered  on  the  career 
of  treason,  pursued  it  with  all  the  dogged  courage  of  his  dis- 
position. Though  his  wife,  sister  to  Red  Rugh,  forsook  him, 
though  his  name  was  execrated  throughout  the  Province, 
except  by  his  blindly  devoted  personal  followers,  he  served 
the  English  during  the  remainder  of  the  war  witJi  a  zeal 
and  ability  to  which  they  acknowledged  themselves  deeply 
indebted.  By  a  rapid  march,  at  the  head  of  1,000  men,  sup- 
plied by  Dmvcra,  he  surprised  the  town  of  Lifford,  which  hia 
new  allies  promptly  fortified  with  walls  of  stone,  and  entrusted 
to  him  to  defend.  Red  Hugh,  pn  learning  this  alarming  inci- 
dent, hastened  from  ine  West  to  invest  the  place.  After  sit- 
ting before  it  an  entire  month,  with  no  other  advantage  than  a 
sally  repulsed,  he  concluded  to  go  into  winter  quarters.  Arthur 
O'Neil  and  Nial  Garve  had  the  dignity  of  knighthood  coni'erred 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  4|| 

The  English  interest  in  Munster  during  ihe  first  v.«r  „f 
Mounyoys  administration  had  recovered  rau.h  of  u  loror. 
dominance.    T^i  new  President  a:.,  n  „  P™" 

Earl  of  Totn...     "°  V   ,         '  °'^  *'""■«"  <'^'"«"'.  afterwards 

whl  oaLdl  :      r  '"  """  ""■'"""'  "^l-taker" 

Olenmalure.    He  was  a  soldier  of  the  new  school,  who  nrided 

tion  of     sham  and  counterfeit  letters."    He  had  an  early  ei 
perience  in  the  Irish  wars,  first  a.  Governor  of  A"keat„: 

sb :;!',;  hT''^ "  r^"'^"""' «™''-'  °'  ">«  0  *-- 

Hubsequently  he  was  employed  in  putting  England  in  a  state 

his  administration,  civi,anTX":itr:3'-: 

read  both  as  to  matter  and  manner,  bat  the  doc  iments  em- 

are   reai^rn  l'  "'«"""'  "'="'""''  "'  *»  'P-cherwhi^h 
are  read  in  Livy.    Some  of  them  are  admitted  forgeries- 

with  Lord  Thomond  from  the  scene  of  Ormond's  capture  his 
tot  act  on  reaching  Cork  was  to  conclude  a  montl^s7;u  e 
-ith  F  orenc«  McCarthy.  This  he  did,  in  order  to  gain  tTme 
10  perfec.  a  plot  for  the  destruction  of  O'Neil's  other  Mend 
called  in  derision,  by  the  Anglo-Irish  of  Munster,  the  sZt 
,or  Braw-rope)  Earl  of  Desmond.  ^ 

VM''^^^  '"  "'""•"'«™'i''  of  Carew  and  of  the  tu^n  which 
English  history  wa«  about  to  take  in  the  next  reign  desevl, 
to  bep,rt    „„„  ,„„^^^    ^^^^^  ,^  ^^^  serv  ce  Of  tZ 

Earl,  one  Dermid  O'Conor.  captain  of  1,400  hired  troops  21 
was  married  to  lady  Margaret  Fitzgerald,  daughter  to  the  lite! 
and  niece  to  the  new-made  Ear  ,f  Desmond.    This  lady  natur. 


II 


Jl 


WIMBaHH 


442 


POPULAR   H18T0F.T   OP   IRF.LAVD. 


I 


ally  Intflrosted  in  the  restoration  of  her  young  brother,  then 
the  Queen's  ward  or  prisoner  at  London,  to  the  title  and 
estates,  was  easily  drawn  into  thn  scheme  of  seducing  ner  hus- 
band from  his  i»atron.  To  justi/y  and  cloak  tho  treachery  a 
letter  was  written  by  Carew  to  the  ttugane  Earl,  reminding 
him  of  his  engu^];ement  to  delivnr  up  O'Conor;  this  letter,  as 
pre-arranged,  was  intercepted  by  the  latter,  who,  watching  his 
opportunity,  rublied  with  it  opet  into  the  Earl's  presence,  and 
arrested  him,  in  the  name  of  O'^'^il,  as  a  traitor  to  the  Catholic 
cause!  Anxious  to  finger  hia  reward — JEl.OOO  and  a  royal 
commission  for  himself — before  giving  up  his  capture,  O'Conor 
imprisoned  the  Earl  in  the  keep  of  Castle-Tshin,  but  the  White 
Knight,  the  Knight  of  Glynn,  Fitzmaurice,  of  Kerry,  and  P '^rce 
Lacy,  levying  rapidly  2,000  men,  speedily  delivered  him  from 
confinement,  while  his  baffled  betrayer,  crest-fallen  and  dishon- 
ored, was  compelled  to  quit  the  Province.  The  year  following  he 
was  attacked  while  marching  through  Qalway,  and  remorse- 
lessly put  to  death,  by  Theobald  Burke,  usually  called  Theo- 
bald of  the  ships. 

Another  device  employed  to  destroy  the  influence  of  O'Neil's 
Desmond  was  the  liberation  of  the  young  son  of  the  late  Earl 
from  the  tower  and  placing  him  at  the  disposal  of  Carew.  The 
young  nobleman,  attended  by  a  Captain  Price,  who  was  to 
watch  all  his  movements,  landed  at  Youghal,  where  he  was 
received  by  the  Lord  President,  the  Clerk  of  the  Council,  Mr. 
Boyle,  afterwards  Earl  of  Cork,  and  Miler  Magrath,  an  apos- 
tate ecclesiastic,  who  had  been  the  Queen's  Archbishop  of 
Cashel.  By  his  influence  with  the  warders,  Castlemaine,  in 
Kerry,  surrendered  to  the  President.  On  reaching  Kilmal- 
lock,  he  was  received  with  such  enthusiasm  that  it  required 
the  effort  of  a  guard  of  soldiers  to  make  way  for  him  through 
the  crowd.  According  to  their  custom  the  people  showered 
down  upc^  him  from  the  windows  handfuls  of  wheat  and  salt 
—emblems  of  plenty  and  of  safety — but  the  next  day,  being 
Sunday,  turned  all  this  joy  into  mourning,  not  unmingled  with 
anger  and  shame.  The  young  lord,  who  had  been  bred  up 
a  Protestant  by  his  keepers,  directed  his  steps  to  the  English 
Church  to  the  consternation  of  the  devoted  adherents  of  hia 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  443 

fionso.    They  clung  round  him  in  the  street  and  endeavored 
to  d,ssua<le  h.m  from  proce..ling,  but  he  continued  his  course 

Mu!       >,   V  /"■"  ""''  "'"'^'^  hootingsand  reproaches  b; 
MiOHewho  had  hailed  him  with  acclamations  the  day  before 
Deser  ed  by  the  people,  and  no  longer  useful  to  tlfe  Prest 

ters  in   the  tower,  and  shortly  afterwards  died.     The  capture 

ll  th«        '  T'  ''  ^'^""  ''•""  '""^  ^"'»"ht  o^  that  name, 
and  the  surrender  of  Carrigafoyle  by  O'Conor  of  Kerry  were 

1600  m   Munster.    On  the  other  hand.  O'Donnell  had  twice 
exercsed   h,s  severe  supremacy  over  southern   Connaught 
burnrng  the  Earl  of  T  homond's  new  town  of  Enni«,  and  sweep-' 
Ing  the     ,l.sand  plams  of  Clare,  and  of  Clanrickarde  of  the 

a"!:  r    'V^'  T''  'T^'^'  ^--^^'-^  actively  ;nllsed 
against  the  iiational  confederacy. 

The  eventful  campaign  of  1601  was  fought  out  in  almost 
every  quarter  of  the  Icingd.m.     To  hold  the  coast  line  and 

of  Dor  y,  and  other  harbors  on  Lough  Poyle  gave  them,  were 
the  tasks  of  O'Donnell;  while  to  defend  the  southern  frontier 
was  the  peculiar  charge  of  O'Neil.    They  thus  fought  a  1 

Inn  sh  "".'l''''^' ''''y  ^«  this  year,  threw  the  succession  to 
Innishowen  mto  confusion,  and  while  O'Donnell  was  personally 
endeavormg  to  settle  conflicting  claims,  Nial  Garve  seized  on 
the  famous  Franciscan  monastery  which  stood  at  the  head  of 
the  bay,  withm  sight  of  the  towers  of  Donegal  Castle.    Hugh 

fzrr.  Ti'  'r"''^  ^'^  p'^^^'  ^^'^^  ^^^  ^-^-^-e  as 

stouuj.  defended.  Three  months,from  the  end  of  June  till  the 
end  of  September,  .he  siege  was  strictly  maintained,  the  garri- 
son  bemg  regularly  supplied  with  stores  and  ammunition 
from  sea.  On  the  night  of  the  29th  of  September  an  explo- 
Bion  of  gunpowder  occurred,  and  soon  the  monastery  was 
wrapped  in  flames.  This  was  the  moment  chosen  for  the 
fl  al  attack  The  glare  of  the  burning  Abbey  reflected  over 
the  beautifu  bay,  the  darkness  of  night  all  round,  the  shout, 
of  the  assailants,  and  the  shrieks  of  the  fugitives,  driven  hy 


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144 


POKULAR  HIS-'ORT   OF   IRELAND. 


the  tlain«8  upon  the  spears  of  their  enemies,  must  have  formed 
a  scene  of  horrors  such  as  erenwar  rarely  combines,  Hun* 
dreds  of  the  besieged  were  slain,  but  Nial  Qarve  himself  with 
the  remainder,  covered  by  the  fire  of  an  English  ship  in  the 
harbor,  escaped  aloug  the  strand  to  the  neighboring  monas- 
tery of  Magherabeg,  which  he  quickly  put  into  a  stale  of  de- 
fence. All  that  was  left  to  O'Donnell  of  that  monastery,  the 
burial  place  of  his  ancesto/a,  and  the  chief  school  of  his  kins- 
men, was  a  skeleton  of  stona,  standing  amid  rubbish  and 
ashes.  It  was  never  reinhahited  by  the  Franciscans.  A  group 
of  huts  upon  the  shore  served  them  for  shelter,  and  the  ruined 
chapel  for  a  place  of  worship,  while  they  were  still  left  in  the 
land. 

While  Hugh  Roe  was  investing  Donegal  Abbey  the  war  had 
not  paused  on  the  southern  firontier.    We  have   said  that 
Mchintjoy  had  made  a  second  and    a  third  demonstration 
against  Armagh  the  previous  year ;  in  one  of  these  journeys  he 
raised  a  strong  fort  at  the  northern  outlet  of  the  Moira  pass, 
which  he  called  Mount  Norris,  in  honor  of  his  late  master  in 
the  art  of  war.    This  work,  strongly  built  and  manned,  gave 
him  the  free  entree  of  the  field  of  battle  whenever  he  chose  to 
take  it.    In  June  of  this  year  he  was  in  th^  valley  of  the  Black- 
water,  menaced  O'Neil's  castle  of  Benburb,  and  left  Sir  Charles 
Danvors  with  750  foot  and  100  horse  in  possession  of  Armagh. 
He  further  proclaimed  a  reward  of  £2,000  for  the  capture  of 
Tyrone  alive,  or  £1,000  for  his  head.    But  no  Irishman  was 
found  to  entertain  the  thought  of  that  bribe.    An  English 
assassin  was  furnished  with  passports  by  Danvers,  and  actually 
drew  hid  sword  on  the  Earl  in  his  own  tent,  but  he  was  seized, 
disarmed,  and  on  the  ground  of  insanity  was  permitted  to 
escape.    Later  in  the  summer  Mountjoy  was  again  on  the 
IRlackwater,  where  he  laid  the  foundation  of  Charlemont, 
called  after  himself,  and  placed  850  men  in  the  works  mnder 
the  command  of  Captain  Williams,  the  brave  defender  of  the 
old  fort  in  the  same  neighborhood.    There  were  thus  quartered 
In  Ulster  at  this  period  the  4,000  foot  and  400  horse  under 
Dowcra,  chiefly  on  the  Poyle,  with  whatever  companies  ol 
ICerno  adhered  to  Arthur  O'lfeil  apd  Nial  Qarve ;  with  Chi 


MPULAR  HISTORY   OF  IRELAND. 


415 


Chester  in  Carrickfergus  there  were  860  foot  and  150  horse; 
with  Danvers  in  Armagh  750  foot  and  100  horse ;  in  Mount 
N-orris,  under  Sir  Samuel  Bagnal,  600  foot  and  50  horse ;  in 
and  about  Downpatrick,  lately  taken  bv  the  Deputy,  under 
Moryson,  300  foot;  in  Newry,  under  Stafford,  400  foot  and  50 
horse;  in  Charlemont,  with  Williams,  300  foot  and  50  horse: 
or,  in  all,  of  English  regulars  in  Ulster  alone,  7,000  foot  and 
BOO  horse.    The  position  of  the  garrisons  on  the  map  will  show 
how  firm  a  grasp  Mountjoy  had  taken  of  the  Northern  Province. 
The  last  scene  of  this  great  struggle  was  now  about  to  shift 
to  the  opposite  quarter  of  the  kingdom.    The  long-looked  for 
Spanish  fleet  was  known  to  have  left  the  Tagus— had  been  seen 
off  the  Scilly  Islands.    On  the  23d  of  September  the  Council 
presided  over  by  Mountjoy,  was  assembled  in  Kilkenny  Castle  : 
there  were  present  Carew,  Ormond,  Sir  Richard  Wingfl.'ld, 
Marshal  of  the  Queen's  troops,  uncle  to  Oarew,  and  founder  of 
the  family  of  Powerscourt ;  also  Chief  Justice  Gardiner,  and 
other  members  less   known.    While  they  were  still  sittincr  a 
message  arrived  from  Cork  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  off  that 
harbor,  and  soon  another  that  they  had  anchored  in  Kinsale, 
and  taken  possession  of  the  town  without  opposition.    The 
course  of  the  Council  waa  promptly  taken.    Couriers  were  at 
once  despatched  to  call  in  the  garrisons  far  and  near  which 
could  possibly  be  dispensed  with  for  service  in  Munster.    Let- 
ters  were  despatched  to  England  for  reinforcements,  and  a 
winter  campaign  in  the  South  was  decided  on. 

The  Spanish  auxiliary  force,  when  it  sailed  from  the  Tagus 
consisted  originally  of  6,000  men  in  fifteen  armed  vessels  and 
thirty  transporte.  When  they  reached  Kinsale,  after  suffering 
severely  at  sea,  and  parting  company  with  several  of  theil 
comrades,  the  soldiers  were  reduced  to  3,400  men— a  numbei 
inferior  to  Dowcra's  force  on  the  Poyle.  The  General,  Don 
Juan  del  Aguila,  was  a  brave,  but  testy,  passionate  and  sus- 
picious  officer.  He  has  been  severely  censured  by  some  Irish 
writers  for  landing  in  the  extreme  South,  within  fourteen 
miles  of  the  English  arsenal  and  headquarters  at  Cork,  and 
for  his  general  conduct  as  a  commander.  However  vulner- 
Ible  he  may  be  on  the  general  charge,  ho  does  not  baera  fairlt 


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POPTTIJkn  HISTORY   OF   IRELAKD. 


to  blame  for  the  choice  of  the  point  of  debarkation.    He  landed 
in  the  old  Geraldine  country,  unaware,  of  course,  of  the  events 
of  the  last  few  weeks,  in  which  the  sugane  Earl,  and  Florence 
McCarthy,  had  been  entrapped  by  Carew's  "  wit  and  cunning" 
and  shipped   for  London,  from  which  they  never  returned. 
Even  the  northern  chiefs,  up  to  this  period,  evidently  thought 
their  cause  much  stronger  in  the  South,  and  Munster  much 
farther  restored  to  vigor  and  courage  than  it  really  was.     To 
the  bitter  disappointment  and  disgust  of  the  Spaniards,  only 
O'Sullivan  Beare,  O'DriscoU,  and  O'Conor  of  Kerry,  declared 
openly   for    them  ;  while    they  could   hear  daily  of  chiefs 
they  had  been  taught  to  count  as  friends,  either  as  prisoners 
or  allies  of  the  English.    Ou  the  17th  of  October— three  weeks 
from  their  first  arrival— they  were  arrested  in  Einsale  by  a 
mixed  army  of  English  and  Anglo-Irish,  15,000  strong,  under  the 
command  of  the  Deputy  and  President,  of  whom  above  5,000 
had  freshly  arrived  at  Cork  from  England.  With  Mountjoy  were 
the  Earls  of  Thomond  and  Clanrickarde,  more  zealous  than  the 
English  themselves  for  the  triumph  of  England.     The  harbor 
was  blockaded  by  ten  ships  of  war,  under  Sir  Richard  Leviston, 
and  the  forts  at  the  entrance,  Rlncorran  and  Castlenepark,  being 
taken  by  cannonade,  the  investment  on  all  sides  was  complete. 
Don  Juan's  messengers  found  O'Neil  and  O'Donnell  busily  en- 
gaged on  their  own  frontiers,  but  both  instantly  resolved  to 
muster  all  their  strength  for  a  winter  campaign  in  Munster. 
O'Donnell  rendezvoused  at  Ballymote,  from  which  he  set  out,  at 
the  head  of  2,500  men,  of  Tyrconnell  and  Connaught,  on  the 
2d   day  of  November.    O'Neil,  with  McDonnell   of  Antrim, 
McGennis  of  Down,  McMahon  of  Monaghan,  and  others,  his 
suffragans,  marched  at  the  head  of  between  8  and  4,000  men, 
through  Westmeath  towards  Ormond.    Holy  Cross  was  their 
appointed  place  of  meeting,  wherf*  they  expected  to  be  joined 
by  such  of  the  neighboring  Catholics  as  were  eager  to  strike 
a  blow  for  liberty  of  worship.     O'Donnell  reached  the  nei-ghbor- 
hood  first,  and  encamped  in  a  strongly  defensible  position, 
"  plashed  on  every  quarter"  for  greater  security.     Mountjoy, 
anxious  to  engage  him  before  O'Neil  should  come  up,  detached 
a  numerically  superior  force,  under  Oarew,  for  that  purpose; 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP    IRELAND. 


447 


but  O'Donnell,  evacuating  his  quarters  by  niglit,  marched 
over  the  mountain  of  Slieve  Felim,  casting  away  much  of  his 
heavy  baggage,  and  before  calling  halt  was  82  Irish  miles  dis- 
tant from  his  late  encampment.  After  this  extraordinary 
mountain  march,  equal  to  40  of  our  present  miles,  he  made  a 
detour  to  the  westward,  descended  on  Castlehaves,  in  Cork, 
and  formed  a  junction  with  700  Spaniards,  who  had  just 
arrived  to  rejoin  Del  Aguila.  A  portion  of  these  veterans 
were  detailed  to  the  forts  of  Castlehaven,  Baltimore,  and 
Dunboy,  commanding  three  of  the  best  havens  in  Munster; 
the  remainder  joined  0  Donnell's  division. 

During  the  whole  of  November  the  siege  of  Kinsale  was 
pressed  with  the  utmost  vigor  by  Mountjoy,  The  place  mounted 
but  three  or  four  effective  guns,  while  20  great  pieces  of 
ordnance  were  continually  playing  on  the  walls.    On  the  Ist 
of  December  a  breach  was  found  practicable,  and  an  assault 
•  made  by  a  party  of  2,)*  a)  English  was  bravely  repulsed  by  the 
Spaniards.    The  English  fleet,  ordered  round  to  Castlehaven 
on  the  3d,  were  becalmed,  and  suffered  some  damage  from  a 
battery,  manned  by  Spanish  gunners,  on  the  shore.    The  lines 
were  advanced  closer  towards  the  town,  and  the  bombardment 
became  more  effective.    But  the  English  ranks  were  consider- 
ably thinned  by  disease  and  desertion,  so  that  on  the  last  day 
of  December,  when  the  united    Irish   force  took  up  their 
position  at  Bnlgoley,  a  mile  to  the  north  of  their  lines,  the 
Lord  Deputy's  effective  force  did  not,  it  is  thought,  exceed 
10,000  men.    The  Catholic  army  has  generally  been  estimated 
at  6,000  native  foot  and  500  horse ;  to  these  are  to  be  added 
800  Spaniards,  under  Don  Alphonso  Ocampo,   who  joined 
O'Donnell  at  Castlehaven. 

The  prospect  for  the  besiegers  was  becoming  exceedingly 
critical,  but  the  Spaniards  in  Xinsale  were  far  from  boilig 
satisfied  with  their  position.  They  had  been  fully  three  months 
within  walls,  in  a  region  wholly  unknown  to  them  :>eforo  their 
allies  appeared.  They  neither  understood  nor  made  allowance 
for  the  immense  difficulties  of  a  winter  campaign  in  a  country 
trenched  with  innumerable  swollen  streams,  thick  with  woods 
which,  at  that  season,  gave  no  shelter,  and  where  camping  onl 


:'f 


If 


443 


POPOLAR   HISTORY   OF  IRELAND. 


at  nights  was  enough  tc  chill  the  hottest  blood.  They  only 
felt  their  own  inconveniences :  they  were  cut  oflF  from  escape 
by  sea  by  a  powerful  English  fleet,  and  Carew  was  already 
prarcJsing  i  idirectly  on  their  commander  his  "wit  and  cun- 
ning," ill  the  fabrication  ol  rumors  and  the  forging  of  letters. 
Don  Juan  wrote  urgent  appeals  to  the  northern  chiefs  to  attack 
the  English  lines  without  another  day's  delay,  and  a  council 
of  war,  the  third  day  after  their  arrival  at  Belgoley,  decided 
that  the  attack  should  be  made  on  the  morrow.  This  decision 
was  come  to  on  the  motion  of  O'Donnell,  contrary  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  more  circumspect  and  far-seeing  O'Neil.  Over- 
ruled, the  latter  acquiesced  in  the  decision,  and  cheerfully 
prepared  to  discharge  his  duty. 

A  story  is  told  by  Carew  that  information  was  obtained  of 
the  intended  attack  from  McMahon,  in  return  for  a  bottle  of 
aqvapUcs  presented  to  him  by  the  President.  This  tale  is 
wholly  unworthy  of  belief,  told  of  a  chief  of  "the  first  rank, 
encamped  io  the  midst  of  a  friendly  country.  It  is  also  said— 
and  it  seems  credible  enough— that  an  intercepted  letter  oi 
Don  Juan's  gave  the  English  in  good  time  this  valuable  piece 
of  information.  On  the  night  of  the  2d  of  January,  new  style 
(24th  of  December,  0.  S.— in  use  among  the  English),  the 
Irish  army  left  their  camp  in  three  divisions,  the  vanguard  led 
by  Tyrrell,  the  centre  by  O'Neil,  and  the  rear  by  O'Donnell. 
The  night  was  stormy  and  dark,  with  continuous  peals  and 
flashes  of  thunder  and  lightning.  The  guides  lost  their  way, 
and  the  march,  which  even  by  the  most  'rcuitous  route 
ought  not  have  exceeded  four  or  five  mil^^,  was  protracted 
through  the  entire  night.  At  dawn  of  day,  O'Neil,  with  whom 
were  O'SuUivan  and  Ocampo,  came  in  sight  of  the  English  lines, 
and,  to  his  infinite  surprise,  found  the  men  under  arms,  the 
cavalry  in  troop  posted  in  advance  of  their  quarters.  O'Don- 
nell's  division  was  v\W  to  come  up,  and  the  veteran  Earl  now 
found  himself  in  the  same  dilemma  into  which  Bagnal  had 
fallen  at  the  Yellow  Ford.  His  embarrassment  was  perceived 
from  the  English  camp;  the  cavalry  were  at  once  ordered  to 
advance.  For  an  hour  O'Neil  maintained  his  ground  alone  ; 
%t  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  forced  to  retire.    Of  Ocampo't 


li 


POPULAR  BISTORT  OP  IRELAND. 


449 


800  Spaniards,  40  surviyorg  were,  with  their  gallant  leader, 
taken  prisoners;  O'Donnell  at  length  arrived,  and  drove  back 
a  wing  of  the  English  cavalry;  Tyrrell's  horsemen  also  held 
their  ground  tenaciously.    But  the  route  of  the  centre  proved 
irremediable.    Fully  1,200  of  the  Irish  were  left  dead  on  the 
field,  and  every  prisoner  taken  was  instantly  executed.    On  the 
English  side  foil  Sir  Richard  Graeme ;  Captains  Danvers  and 
Godolphin,  with  several  others,  were  wounded ;  their  total  loss 
they  stated  at  200,  and  the  Anglo-Irish,  of  whom  they  seldom 
made  count  in  their  reports,  must  have  lost  in  proportion     The 
Earla  of  Thomond  and  Clanrickarde  were  actively  engaged 
with  their  followers,  and  their  loss  could  hardly  have  been 
less  than  that  of  the  English  regulars.    On  the  night  following 
their  defeat  the  Irish  leaders  held  council  together  at  Innish- 
anon,  on  the  river  Bandon,  where  it  was  agreed  that  O'Donnell 
should  instantly  take  shipping  for  Spain  to  lay  the  true  state 
of  the  contest  before  Philip  III.;  that  O'SuUivan  should  en. 
deavor  to  hold  the  CasUe  of  Dunboy,  as  commanding  a  most 
important  harbor;  that  Rory  O'Donnell,  second  brother  of  Hugh 
Roe,  should  act  a^  Chieftain  of  Tyrconnell,  and  that  O'NeUl 
should  return  into  Ulster  to  make  the  best  defence  in  his 
power.    The  loss  in  men  waa  not  irreparable ;  the  loss  in  arms, 
colors,  and  reputation,  was  more  painful  to  bear,  and  far  more 
difficult  to  retrieve. 

On  the  12th  of  January,  nine  days  after  the  battle,  Don 
Juan  surrendered  the  town,  and  agreed  to  give  up  at  the  same 
time  Dunboy,  Baltimore,  and  Castlehaven.  He  had  lost  1,000 
men  out  of  his  8,000  during  a  ten  weeks'  siege,  and  was  heartily 
sick  of  Irish  warfare.  On  his  return  to  Spain  he  was  de- 
graded from  his  rank,  for  his  too  great  intimacy  with  Carew, 
and  confined  a  prisoner  in  his  own  house.  He  is  said  to  hav* 
died  of  a  broken  heart  occasioned  by  these  indignities. 

O'Donnell  sailed  from  Castlehaven  in  a  Spanish  ship,  on  the 
6th  of  January,  three  days  after  the  battle,  and  arrived  at 
Corunna  on  the  14th.  He  was  received  with  all  the  honors 
due  to  a  crown  prince  by  the  Conde  de  Carajena,  Oovernor 
of  Galicia.  Among  other  objects,  he  visited  the  remains  of 
the  tower  of     Betanzog,   from  which,  according  to  Bardi« 


ir      f- 


450 


POPULAR  BISTORT   OF  IRELAND. 


legends,  the  sons  of  Mileslas  had  sailed  to  seek  for  the  Isle  at 
Destiny  among  the  wares  of  the  west.  On  the  27th  he  set  out 
for  the  Court,  accompanied  as  far  as  Santa  Lucia  by  the 
governor,  who  presented  him  with  1,000  ducats  towards  hia 
expenses.  At  Compostella  the  Archbishop  offered  him  hia 
own  palace,  which  O'Donnell  respectfully  declined :  he  after- 
wards celebrated  a  Solemn  High  Mass  for  the  Irish  chiefs 
intention,  entertained  him  magnificently  at  dinner,  and  pre- 
sented him,  as  the  governor  had  done,  with  1^000  .ducats.  At 
Zamora  he  received  from  Philip  III.  a  most  cordial  reception, 
and  was  assured  that  in  a  very  ^hort  time  a  more  powerful 
armament  than  Don  Juan's  should  sail  with  him  from  Cor- 
nnna.  He  returned  to  that  port,  from  which  he  could  every 
day  look  out  across  the  western  waves  that  lay  between  him 
and  home,  aftd  where  he  could  be  kept  constantly  informed  of 
wha^  was  passing  in  Ireland.  Spring  was  over  and  gone,  and 
lummer  too  had  passed  away,  but  still  the  exigencies  of  Spanish 
policy  delayed  the  promised  expedition.  At  length  O'Donnell 
set  out  on  a  second  visit  to  the  Spanish  Court,  then  at  Valla- 
dolid,  but  he  reached  no  further  th^  Simancas,  when,  fevered 
In  mind  and  body,  he  expired  on  the  10th  of  September,  1602, 
In  the  29th  year  of  his  age.  He  >7a8  attended  in  his  last 
moments  by  two  Franciscan  Fathers  who  accompanied  him, 
Florence,  afterwards  Archbishop  of  Tuam,  and  Maurice 
Donlevy,  of  his  own  Abbey  of  Donegal.  His  body  was  interred 
with  regal  honors  in  the  Cathedral  of  Valladolid,  where  a 
monument  was  erected  to  his  memory  by  the  King  of  Spain. 
Thus  closed  the  career  of  one  of  the  brightest  and  purest- 
characters  in  any  history.  His  youth,  his  early  captivity,  his 
princely  generosity,  his  daring  courage,  his  sincere  piety  won 
the  hearts  of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him.  He  was  the 
Bword  as  O'Neil  was  the  brain  of  the  Ulster  Confederacy :  the 
Ulysses  and  Achilles  of  the  war,  they  fought  side  by  side, 
without  jealousy  or  envy,  for  almost  as  long  a  period  as  theil 
prototypes  had  spent  in  besieging  Troy. 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP  IRELAKB 


45! 


CHAPTER  XI. 

»HB   OOHQUBST    OP   MUSSTER-DEATH  OP  ELIZABETH,  ABD    SUB 
MISSIOB   OP    0'BBIL-"THE   ABTICLB8   OP   MELLIPONT." 

The  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth  were  now  literally  numbered. 

The  death  of  Essex,  the  intrigues  of  the  King  of  Scotland, 

and  the  successes  of  Tyrone,  preyed  upon  her  spirits.    The 

Irish  chief  was  seldom  out  of  her  mind,  and,  as  she  often 

predicted,    she  was  not  to  live  to     receive  his  submission. 

She  was  accustomed  to  send  for  her  godson,  Harrington,  who 

had  served  in  Ireland,  to  aak  him  questions  concerning  Tyrone ; 

the  French  ambassador  considered  Tyrone's  war  one  of  the 

causes  that  totally  destroyed  her  peace  of  mind  in  her  latter 

days.    She  received  the  news  of  the  victory  of  Kinsale  with 

pleasure,  but,  even  then,  she  was  not  destined  to  receive  the 

submission  of  Tyrone. 

The  events  of  the  year,  so  inauspiciously  begun  for  the  Irish 
arms,  continued  of  the  same  disastrous  character.    Castlehaven 
was  surrendered  by  its  Spanish  guard,  according  to  Del  Aguila's 
agreement.    Baltimore,  after  a  momentary  resistance,  was  also 
given  up,  but  O'Sullivan,  who  considered  the  Spanish  capitu- 
lation  nothing  short  of  treason,  threw  a  body  of  nati  e  troops 
probably  drawn  from  TyrreU's  men,  into  Dunboy,  under  Cap' 
tain  Richard  Mageoghogan,  and  Taylor,  an  Englishman,  con- 
nected by  marriage  with  Tyrrell.    Another  party  of  the  same 
troops  took  possession  of  Clear  Island,  but  were  obliged  to 
Abandon  it  as  untenable.    The  entire  strength  of  the  Dunbov 
garrison  amounted  to  143  men ;  towards  the  end  of  April-the 
last  of  the  Spaniards  having  sailed  in  March-Care w  left  Cork 
at  the  head  of  3,000  men  to  besiege  Dunboy.    Sir  Charies 
Wihnot  moved  on  the  same  point  from  Kerry,  with  a  force  of 
1,000  men,  to  join  Carew.    In  the  pass  near  Mangerton  Wilmot 
was  encountered  by  Donald  O'Sullivan  and  Tyrrell    at  the 
head  of  their  remaining  followers,  but  forced  a  passage  and 


mm 


452 


POPULAR  HTSTORY   OF  IRKLAND 


|i 


I 


united  with  liis  superior  on  the  shores  of  Berehavan.  On  th« 
lat  of  June  the  English  landed  on  Bear  Island,  and  on  the  6th 
opened  their  cannonade,  They  were  4,000  men,  with  oTcry 
military  equipment  necessary,  against  148.  After  eleven  days' 
bombardment  the  place  was  shattered  to  pieces ;  the  garrison 
offered  to  surrender,  if  allowed  to  retain  their  arms,  but  tlioif 
messenger  was  hanged  and  an  instant  assault  ordered.  Oyer 
fifty  of  this  band  of  Christian  Spartans  had  fallen  in  the  de- 
fence, thirty  attempted  to  escape  in  boats,  or  by  swimming, 
but  were  killed  to  a  man  while  in  the  water.  The  remainder 
retreated  with  Mageoghegan,  who  was  severely  wounded,  to  a 
cellar  approached  by  a  narrow  stair,  where  the  command  was 
assumed  by  Taylor.  All  day  the  assault  had  been  carried  od 
till  night  closed  upon  the  scene  of  carnage.  Placing  a  strong 
guard  on  the  approach  to  the  crypt,  Carew  returned  to  the 
change  with  the  returning  light.  Cannon  were  first  discharged 
into  the  narrow  chamber  which  held  the  last  defenders  of 
Dunboy,  and  then  a  body  of  the  assailants  rushing  in,  de- 
spatched  the  wounded  Mageoghegan  with  their  swords,  having 
found  him,  candle  in  hand,  dragging  himself  towards  the  gun- 
powder. Taylor  and  fifty-seven  others  were  led  out  to  execu- 
tion ;  of  all  the  heroic  band,  not  a  soul  escaped  alive. 

The  remaining  fragments  of  Danboy  were  blown  into  the  air 
by  Carew  on  the  22d  of  June.  Dursey  Castle,  another  island 
fortress  of  O'Sullivan's,  had  fallen  even  earlier ;  so  that  no  roof 
remained  to  the  lord  of  Berehaven.  Still  he  held  his  men  well 
together  in  the  glens  of  Kerry,  during  the  months  of  Summer, 
but  the  ill-news  from  Spain  in  September  threw  a  gloom 
over  those  mountains  deeper  than  was  ever  cast  by  equinoctial 
storm.  Tyrrell  was  obliged  to  separate  from  him  iu  the 
Autnmn,  probably  from  the  difllculty  of  providing  for  so  many 
mouths,  and  O'Sullivan  himself  prepared  to  bid  a  sad  farewell 
to  the  land  of  his  inheritance.  On  the  last  day  of  December  he 
left  Glengariffe,  with  400  fighting  men,  and  600  women,  children, 
and  servants,  to  seek  a  refuge  in  the  distant  north.  After  a 
retreat  almost  unparalleled,  the  survivors  of  this  exodus  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  friendly  roof  of  O'Ruarc,  at  Dromahaire, 
not  far  from  Sligo.    Their  entire  march,  from  the  extreme 


MptlLAR  HISTORY   OF   /RCLAND. 


452 


south  to  the  almost  extreme  north-west  of  the  Island,  a  dis- 
tance, as  they  travelled  It,  of  not  less  than  200  miles,  was  one 
scene  of  warfare  and  suffering.     They  were  compelled  to  kill 
their  horses,  on  reaching  the  Shannon,  in  order  to  make  boata 
of  the  hides,  to  ferry  them  to  the  western  bank.    At  Aughrim 
they  were  attacked  by  a  superior  force  under  Lord  Clanrick- 
arde's  brother,  and  Captain  Henry  Malby,  but  they  fought 
With  the  courage  of  despair,  routed  the  enemy,  slaying  Malby 
and  other  officers.    Of  the  ten  hundred  who  left  the  shores  of 
Glengarlffe,  but  85  souls  reached  the  Leitrim  chieftain's  man- 
■ion.    Among  these    were  the  chief  himself,  with   De-mid 
father  of  the  historian,  who  at  the  date  of  this  march  had 
reached  the  age  of  seventy.    The  conquest  of  Munster,  at 
least,   was  now  complete.    In  the  ensuing  January,   Owen 
McEgan,  Bishop  of  Ross,  was  slain  in  the  midst  of  a  guerilla 
party,  in  the  mountains  of  Carberry,  and  his  chaplain,  being 
taken,  waa  hanged  with  the  other  prisoners.    The  policy  of 
extermination  recommended  by  Carew  was  zealously  carried 
out  by  strong  detachments  under  Wilmot,  Harvey  and  Flower  • 
Mr.  Boyle  and  the  other  "  Undertakers"  zeaiously  assisUng 
as  volunteers. 

Mountjoy,  after  transacting  some  civil  business  at  Dublin, 
proceeded  in  person- to  the  north,  while  Dowcra,  marching  out 
of  Derry,  pressed  O'Neil  from  the  north  and  north-east.    In 
June  Mountjoy  was  at  Charlemont,  which  he  placed  under 
the  custody  of  Captain  Toby  Caufleld,  the  founder  of  an  illus- 
trious title  taken  from  that  fort.    He  advanced  on  Dungannon, 
but  discovered  it  from  the  distance,  as  Norris  had  once  before 
done,  in  flames,  kindled  by  the  hand  of  its  straitened  proprie- 
tor.   On  Lough  Neagh  he  erected  a  ujw  fort  called  Mountjoy, 
BO  that  his  communications  on  the  south  now  stretched  from 
that  great  lake  round  to  Omagh,  while  those  of  Dowcia, 
at  Augher,  Donegal,  and  Lifford,  nearly  completed  the  circle! 
Almost  the  only  outlet  from  this  chain  of  posts  was  into  the 
mountains  of  O'Cane's  country,  the  north-east  angle  of  the 
present  county  of  Derry.    The  extensive  tract  so  enclosed  and 
guarded  had  still  ^me  natural  advantages  for  carrying  on  a 
defensive  war.    The  primitive  woods  were  standing  in  masses 


■K 


454 


POPULAR    HIHTOny   Of   IRRLAND. 


at  no  great  distance  from  each  other ;  the  nearly  parallel  ralei 
of  Paughan,  Moyala,  and  the  river  Roe,  with  the  intermediate 
leagues  of  moor  and  mountain,  were  favorable  to  the  move- 
menta  of  native  forces  familiar  with  every  ford  and  footpath. 
There  was  also,  while  this  central  tract  was  he'd,  a  possibility 
of  communication  with  other  unbroken  tribes,  such  as  those 
of  Clandeboy  and  the  Antrim  glens  on  the  east,  and  Breffiil 
O'Ruarc  on  the  west.  Never  did  the  genius  of  Hugh  O'Neil 
shine  out  brighter  than  in  these  last  defensive  operations.  In 
July,  Mountjoy  writes  apologetically  to  the  Council,  thai 
"  notwithstanding  her  Majesty's  great  forces  O'Neil  doth  still 
live."  He  bitterly  complains  of  his  consummate  caution,  his 
"  pestilent  judgment  to  spread  and  to  nourish  his  own  infec- 
tion," and  of  the  reverence  entertained  for  his  person  by  the 
native  population.  Early  in  August  Mountjoy  had  arranged 
what  he  hoped  might  prove  the  finishing  stroke  in  the  struggle. 
Dowcra  from  Derry,  Chichester  from  Carrickfergus,  Danvers 
from  Armagh,  and  all  who  could  be  spared  from  Mountr^ 
joy,  Charlemont,  and  Mountnorris,  were  gathered  under 
his  command,  to  the  number  of  8,000  men,  for  a  foray 
into  the  interior  of  Tyrone.  Inisloghlin,  on  the  borders  of 
Down  and  Antrim,  which  contained  a  great  quantity  of  valu- 
ables, belonging  to  O'Neil,  was  captured.  Magherlowney  and 
Tulloghoge  were  next  taken.  At  the  latter  place  stood  the 
ancient  stone  chair  on  which  the  O'Neils  were  inaugurated 
time  out  of  mind ;  it  was  now  broken  into  atoms  by  Mount- 
joy's  orders.  But  the  most  effective  warfare  was  made  on  the 
growing  crops.  "  The  8,000  men  spread  themselves  over  the 
fertile  fields  along  the  valleys  of  the  Bann  and  the  Roe,  des- 
troying the  standing  grain  with  fire,  where  it  would  burn,  or 
with  the  praca,  a  peculiar  kind  of  harrow,  tearing  it  up  by 
the  roots.  The  horsemen  trampled  crops  into  the  earth  which 
had  generously  nourished  them ;  the  Infantry  shore  them  down 
with  their  sabres,  and  the  sword,  though  in  a  very  different 
sense  from  that  of  Holy  Scripture,  was.  Indeed,  converted  into 
a  sickle.  The  harvest  month  never  shone  upon  such  fields  in 
any  Christian  land.  In  September,  Mountjoy  reported  to  Cecil, 
"  that  b«tween  Tullaghoge  and  Toome  there  lay  unburied  i 


1 1 1 


fj 


fOfm.AK    HfSTORY    Of    IRKLAND.  455 

lAouwnd  dead,"  and  that  since  his  arrival  on  the  Blackwn-fer 
-a  period  of  a  couple  of  months-"  there  were  about  ;3,0(K) 
■Urved  in  Tyrone."     In  O'Cane's  country,  the  misery  of  hi, 
clansmen  drove  the  chief  to  surrender  to  Dowcra.  and  th< 
news  of    Hugh    Roe's  death    having   reached   Donegal,   his 
brother   repaired    to  Athlone,  and   made   hin   subminsion    to 
»  ountjoy,  early  in   December.     O'Neil,  unable   to  maintain 
himself  on  the  river  Roe,  retired  with  600  foot  and  GOho.se. 
to  aiencancean,  near  Lough  Neagh,  the  most  secure  of  his 
fastnesses.    His  brother  Cormac,  McMahon,  and  Art  O'Neil 
of  Clandeboy,  shared  with  him  the  wintry  hardships  of  that 
last  asylum,  while  Tyrone.  Clandeboy.  and  IVionaghan,  -vere 
given  up  to  horrors,  surpassing  any  that  had  been  known  or 
dreamt  of  in  former  wars.     Moryson,  secretary  to  Mountioy. 
in  his  account  of  this  campaign  observes,  "that  no   .  ectaole 
was  more  frequent  in  the  ditches  of  towns,  and  especially  iu 
wasted  countries,  than  to  see  multitudes  of  these  poor  people 
dead,  with  their  mouths  all  colored  green,  by  eating  nettles. 
docks,  and  all  things  they  could  rend  above  ground." 

The  new  year,  opening  without  hope,  it  began  to  be  ru- 
mored  that  O'Neil  was  disposed  to  surrender  on  honorable 
terms.     Mountjoy  and  the  English  Council  long  urged  the 
aged  Queen  to  grant  such  terms,  but  without  effect     Her 
pride  as  a  sovereign  had  been  too  deeply  wounded  by  the  re- 
volted  Earl  to  allow  her  easily  to  forgive  or  forget  his  of- 
fences.   Her  advisers  urged  that  Spain  had  followed  her  own 
course  towards  the  Netherlands,  in  Ireland ;  that  the  war  con- 
sumed three-fourths  of  her  annual  revenue,  and  had  obliaed 
her  to  keep  up  an  Iri.h  array  of  20,000  men  for  several  ye'ars 
past.    At  length  she  yielded  her  reluctant  consent,  and  Mount- 
joy  was  authorized  to  treat  with  the  arch-rebel  upon  honora-- 
ble  terms.     The  agente  employed  by  the  Lord  Deputy  in  thig 
negotiation  were  Sir  William  Godolphin  and  Sir  Garrett  Moore 
of  Mellifont,  ancestor  of  the  Marquis  of  Drogheda-the  latter' 
a  warm  personal  friend,  though  no  partizan  of  O'Neil's.    The^* 
found  him  in  his  retreat  near  Lough  Neagh  early  in  March, 
and  obtained  his  promise  to  give  the  Deputy  an  early  meeC 
Ing  at  Mellifont.    Elizabeth's  serious  illness,  concealed  froui 


r 


456 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


i 


O'Neil,  though  well  known  to  Mountjoy,  hastened  tlie  npgoti* 
ations.  On  the  27th  of  March  he  had  intelligence  of  her  de- 
cease a*.  London  on  the  24th,  hut  carefully  concealed  it  till 
the  6th  of  .\pril  following.  On  the  Slst  of  March,  he  received 
Tyrone's  suhmission  at  Moore's  residence,  the  ancient  Cister- 
cian Abbey,  and  not  until  a  week  latei;  did  O'Neil  learn  thai 
he  had  made  his  peace  with  a  dead  sovereign. 

The  honorable  terms  on  which  this  memorab'e  religious  war 
was  concluded  were  these :  O'Neil  abjured  all  foreign  alle- 
giance, especially  that  of  the  King  of  Spain ;  renouaced  the 
title  of  O'Neil ;  agreed  to  give  up  his  correspondence  with  the 
Spaniards,  and  to  recall  his  son  Henry  who  was  a  page  at  the 
Spanish  Court,  and  to  live  in  peace  with  the  sons  of  John  the 
Proud.  Mountjoy  granted  him  an  amnesty  for  himself  and 
his  allies :  agreed  that  he  should  be  restored  to  his  estates  as 
ha  fcai  held  them  before  the  war,  and  that  the  Catholics 
should  have  the  free  exercise  of  theii-  religion.  That  the 
restoration  of  his  ordinary  chieftain  rights,  which  did  not  con- 
flict with  the  royal  prerogative,  was  also  included,  we  have  the 
best  possible  evidence :  Sir  Henry  Dowcra  having  complained 
to  Lord  Mountjoy  that  O'Neil  quartered  men  on  O'Cane,  who 
had  surrendered  to  himself,  Mountjoy  made  answer— "  My 
Lord  of  Tyrone  is  taken  in  with  promise  to  be  restored,  as  well 
to  all  his  lands  as  to  his  honor  and  dignity,  and  O'Cane'a 
country  is  his  and  must  be  obedient  to  his  commands."  That 
the  article  concerning  religion  was  understood  by  the  Catho- 
lics to  concede  full  freedom  of  worship,  is  evident  from  subse- 
quent events.  In  Dublin  sixteen  of  the  principal  citi.^sn8 
Buffered  fine  and  imprisonment  for  refusing  to  comply  with 
the  act  of  uniformity ;  in  Kilkenny  the  Catholics  took  posses- 
sion of  the  Black  Abbey,  which  had  been  converted  into  a 
lay  fee;  in  Waterford  they  did  the  same  by  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  where  a  Dominican  preacher  was  reported  to  have 
said,  among  other  imprudent  things,  that  "  Jesabelwas  dead"— 
alluding  to  the  late  Queen.  In  Cork,  Limerick,  and  Cashel 
the  cross  was  carried  publicly  in  procession,  the  ola  Churchea 
restored  to  their  ancient  rites,  and  enthusiastic  proclamation 
mado  of  the  public  restoration  of  religion.  These  events  having 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OF  IRELAND.  457 

.bHged  the  Lord  Deputy  to  make  a  progress  through  the  towns 

heaaeTbv  rlr^"  "''  t'  ""^^^^^^^^  ^^  "^  vast'proce^^ron 
headed  by  religious  in  the  habits  of  their  order  who  boldlJ 

crj:  ir  tl"  "'"''  *'^  ^'''^^^-^  ^^  WaterJd^^M  n'oZ' 
rehgion.      When  such  was  the  spirit  of  the  town  populations 

<^lZrLru      ^^  *^'  P''P^"  ""^^'-^^  "P^-^  '^^  «««  of  many 
of  their  old  Churches,  and  repaired  several  Abbeys-among 

Oninn"TKr'  ^"''*''°''  ^"^^^'^^  '^"^  Timoleague  in  Cork 
Mayo  andTC-r^r  ''""•^"^"  '"  Oalway f  RosnarielHn 
thev  th^fi,  ^^^'^'^^'-^^'^^^  ^«  Westmeath.  So  confident  were 
they  that  he  days  of  persecution  were  past,  that  King  James 
prefaces  his  proclamation  of  Jnlv  iRns  uu  1  ^ 
"  Whflr«fl«  «,«  I,  *"**"*  ?*  ''"^5''  1606,  with  the  statement— 
Whereas  we  have  been  informed  that  our  subjects  in  the 
k  ngdom  of  Ireland,  since  the  death  of  our  beloved  sister 

aZ  ^r  rr""'  '^  *  ''^^^  »*'^«»«^'  *«  -'t.  that  we  would 
cllow  them  liberty  of  conscience."  and  so  forth  How  creHy 
they  were  then  .undeceived  belongs  to  the  history  of  The  „e^ 

were  not  naore  shamefully  violated  by  the  st^tut^  6th  Zd  7tk 
^  ham   ir.,  than  the  Articles  of  Mellifont  were  violated  by' 
this  Proclamation  of  the  third  year  of  James  I  ^ 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ELIZABETH. 

»0Rroo  the  greater  part  of  the  reicn  of  Fli^ph^fi,    iv. 
mean,  relied  „p„„  ,„,  a,  ^r^^^^T!^^'^  Z^^'Z" 

eT^en  in   the  time  of  Edward  VI.    Thus    when  Sir  wnr 

fcen^   under  .  j^nalty  „,  ^40  each,  to  attend  the  Engli* 
Church  .erv.^,  ^  .„a,„ri«d  the  Anglican  Bishop  "  U>  ilk. 


45S 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


B  rate  for  the  repair  of  the  Church,  and  to  distrain  for  the 
payment  of  it"— the  first  mention  of  Church  rates  we  remem- 
ber to  have  met  with.    Drury's  method  of  proceeding  may  be 
further  inferred  from  the  fact,  that  of  the  thirty-six  execu- 
tions ordered  by  him  in  the  same  city,  "  one  was  a  blacka- 
moor and  two  were  witches,  who  were  condemned  by  the  law 
of  nature,  for  there  was  no  positive  law  against  witchcraft  [in 
Ireland]  in  those  days."    That  defect  was  soon  supplied, 
however,  by  the  statute  27th  of  Elizabeth,  "  against  witch- 
craft and  sorcery."    Sir  John  Perrott,  successor  to  Drury, 
trod  in  the  same  path,  as  we  judge  from  the  charge  of  severity 
against  recusants,  upon  which,  among  other  articles,  he  was  re- 
called from  the  government.    Towards  the  end  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  however,  it  began  to  be  discovered  by  the  wisest 
observers  that  violent  methods  were  worse  than  useless  with 
the  Irtsh.    Edmund  Spenser  urged  that  "  religion  should  not 
.be  forcibly  impressed  into  them  with  terror  and  sharp  penal- 
ties as  now  is  the  manner,  but  rather  delivered  and  intimated 
with  mildness  and  gentleness."  Lord  Bacon,  in  his  "  Consider- 
ations touching  the  Queen's  Service  in  Ireland,"  addressed  to 
Secretary  Cecil,  recommends  "  the  recovery  of  the  hearts  of 
the  people"  as  the  first  step  towards  their  conversion.    With 
this  view  he  suggested  "  a  toleration  of  religion  (for  a  time 
not  definite),  except  it    be    in  some  principal  towns  and 
cities,"  as  a  measure  "warrantable  in  religion,  and  in  policy 
of  absolute  necessity."    The  philosophic  Chancellor  farther 
suggested,  as  a  means  to  thi?  desired  end,  the  preparation 
of""  versions  of  Bibles  and  Catechisms,  and  other  works  of  in- 
struction in  the  Irish  language."    In  accordance  with  these 
>iews  of  conversion,  the  University  of  Trinity  College  was 
established  by  a  royal  charter,  in  the  month  of  January,  1593. 
The  Mayor  and  Corporation  of  Dublin  had  granted  the  ancient 
monastery  of  All  Hallows  as  a  site  for  the  buildings ;  some 
contributions  were  received  from  the  Protestant  gentry,  large 
grants  of  confiscated  Abbey  and  other  lands,  which  afterwards 
yielded  a  princely  revenue,  were  bestowed  upon  it,  and  the 
Lord  Treasurer  Burleigh  graciously  accepted  the  office  of  itii 
Chancellor.    The  first  Provost  was  Archbishop  Loftus,  and  of 


POPULAR    HISTORY   OP    IRELAND.  459 

»t  Kinsale  presented  it  with  the  sum  of  £1  ZnZ7!^      'l'"^ 
of  a  library-  «nrt  »nh.  .  u  °' *'*"' '"^  tlie  purchase 

and  rlter  I'he  Coll.    '""'f  T'  ""-a^cations  in  Mun.tor 

the^lX*;  „?""""  '"  ''°^'"''  ^'""'""^  reco„.me„.ied 
who  b"™?/    P"""""™  ""  »»<!  "  limited  toleration,  those 

bean      M  THilT'"'"'!'  "'"  '■""  "-^'"-'"'Ono 

and  the,r  powers  lay  dormant  in  the  last  two  or  threeTearlof 
the  century.  Esse,  and  Mountjoy  were  both  f«X  convi  eel 
Mai   tow  °"'  °'  '"!"""•-"'-;  *»  former  show  ^r  par' 

prison.    Mountjoy,  m  answer  to  the  command  nf  fu«  v     i-  u 

" :  '^  r  """""'"^'^ '" '"« ~  lr°'o fts:- 

rephed  by  letter  that  he  had  already  advised  "  snehas'S, 
in  It  fora  time  to  hold  a  restrained  hand  therein  "   "  Th.  oit 
course,"  he  adds.  "  might  have  overthrown Te  means  .ft^ 

mZ!!:  hT'r™""""  "'  ""'''"■"    ^"»  -di'io™l  toTe 
ration—such  as  it  was— excited  the  indicrnatinn  nf  *i.^ 

day  for  a  year."    "  Prom  this  year."  cried  the  youthfulTealot 

elrae^h  r.""  '"  "'  '-'-".*«' 'ho-whom  you  now 
embrace  shall  be  your  ruin,  and  you  shall  bear  their  iniquity  " 
When  the  northern  insurrection  of  16«  took  place  this  hetorical 

pheTyrmer  Aft"'  T'*"" '''' '""  *'  "i^-i'/oC:" 

pnecylulfllled.  After  tlie  victory  of  Kinsale,  however  Ihonirr. 
Protesunt  party  had  less  cause  to  eomplain' o,  th/XoIing 


460 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


m 


I 


of  the  ciril  power ;  the  pecuniary  mulct  of  twelve  pence  foi 
each  absence  from  the  English  service  was  again  enforced,  at 
least  in  Dublin,  and  several  priests,  then  in  prison,  were,  on 
various  pretences,  put  to  death.  Among  those  who  suffered  in 
the  capital  was  the  learned  Jesuit,  Henry  Fitzsimons,  son  of  a 
Mayor  of  the  city,  the  author  of  Brittanomachia,  with  whom, 
while  in  the  Castle,  Usher  commenced  a  controversy,  which 
was  never  finished.  But  the  terms  agreed  upon  at  Mellifont, 
between  Mountjoy  and  Tyrone,  again  suspended  for  a  short 
interval  the  sword  of  persecution. 

Notwithstanding  its  manifold  losses  by  exile  and  the  scaf- 
fold, the  ancient  Church  was  enabled  through  the  abundance 
of  vocations,  and  the  zeal  of  the  ordained,  to  keep  up  a  still 
powerful  organization.     Philip  O'Sullivaa  states,  under  the 
next  reign  that  the  government  had  ascertained  through  its 
spies,  the  names  of  1,160  priests,  secular  and  regular,  still  in 
the  country.    There  must  have  been  between  300  and  400 
others  detained  abroad,  either  as  Professors  in  the  Irish  Col- 
leges in  Spain,   France,  and  Flanders,  or  as  ecclesiastics, 
awaiting  major  orders.    Of  the  regulars  at  home  120  were 
Franciscans  and  about  50  Jesuits.    There  are  said  to  have 
been  but  four  Fathers  of  the  Order  of  St.  Dominick  remaining 
at  the  time  of  Elizabeth's  death.    The  reproach  of  Cambrensis 
had  long  been  taken  away,  since  every  Diocese  might  now 
point  to  its  martyrs.    Of  these  we  recall  among  the  Hierarchy 
the  names  of  O'Hely,  Bishop  of  Killala,  executed  at  Kilmai- 
lock  in  1578 ;  O'Hurley,  Archbishop  of  Cashel,  burned  at  the 
stake  in  Dublin  in  1582;  Creagh,  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  who 
died  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower  in  1585 ;  Archbishop  McGauran, 
his  successor,  slain  in  the  act  of  ministering  to  the  wounded 
in    the    engagement   at    Tulsk,    in    Roscommon,   in    1593 ; 
McEgan,   Bishop   of   Ross,  who  met  his  death  under  pre- 
cisely  similar    circumstances    in    Carberry    in    1603.      Yet 
through    all    these    losses    the    episcopal    succession    was 
maintained  unbroken.    In  the  early  part  of  the  next  reign 
O'SuUivan  gives  the  names  of  the  four  Archbishops,  Peter 
Lombard  of  Armagh,  Edward  McGauran  of  Dublin,   David 
O'Carny  of  Cashel,  and  Florence  Conroy  of  Tuam.    On  th* 


Il 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OP   IRELAND.  U\ 

Other  hand  the  last  trying  half  century  had  furnished,  so  faf 

IIILT^  r^'  "''  '°''*"'"  "^  "P"«'*«^  *°^<>"8  *he  Bishops, 
and  but  half  a  dozen  at  most  from  all  order,  of  the  clergy.    We 

read  that  Oveen  O'Connor,  an  apostate,  was  advanced  by  letters 

fnTrn  .  T"'  "  '''' '  ^''^^  ^^^"-  ^'«"-  o^  Ara  wa" 
in  1570  by  the  same  authority,  elevated  to  the  See  of  Killaloe 

which  he  resigned  in  1612;  that  Miler  Magrath,  in  ear!y  life  a 

Franciscan  fnar,  was  promoted  by  the  Queen  to  the  sees  of 

fiiJi  \.^?  '  "^"'^^"^  *°^  ^^«"^<*''«  ««ccessively.  He 
finally  settled  m  the  see  of  Cashel,  in  which  he  died,  having 
secretly  returned  to  the  religion  of  his  ancestors.  For  he  rest! 
the  Queen's  Bishops"  were  chiefly  chosen  out  of  England 
though  some  few  natives  of  the  Pale,  or  of  the  walled  towns' 
educated  at  Oxford,  may  be  found  in  the  list  ' 

nfZ  *^^  'T  t  ^'^'^'°^  ^°  '^"^^  *^<>'^^^«d  «»es  the  brief 
story  js  easily  told.  The  Bardic  Order  still  flourished  and  was 
he  d  m  honor  by  all  ranks  of  the  native  populatic^n.    The 

nobrtllTH' '"''''  °"'  ^"  *^^"^'  -  -  -*^-'  ™any 
noble  traits  of  character.    The  Harper,  O'Dugan.  was    he  last 

companion  that  dung  to  the  last  of  the  Desmondrthe  B  rd 

Ifr'eT  ;,''"''  7"''  accompanied  the  Ulste;  chiefs  in 
their  exile,  and  poured  out  his  Gaelic  dirge  above  their  Roman 
graves.  Although  the  Bardic  compositions  continued  He 
chiefly  personal,  relating  to  the  inauguration,  journeys  ex- 
Ploits.  or  death  of  some  favorite  chief,  a  la;g'e  num'ber  of 

of  rZ  "'.T-  '"  *^'  P"^^'"  ''  "'^'-  ^^^^  *-d  the  glorie, 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  are  known  to  be  of  this  age.    The  first 
forerunnei.  of  what  was  destined  to  be  a  numerous  progeny 
t^e  controversial  ode  or  baUad.  appeared  in  Elizabeth's  refgn 
n  the  form  of  comparisons  between  the  old  and  new  religions 
kmen^ti«ns  over  the  ruin  of  religious  houses,  and  the  'apos. 

admitted  by  Spenser,  a  competent  judge,  but  the  tendency  of 
their  writmg.,  he  complains,  was  to  foster  the  love  of  lawless 
ness  and  rebellion  rather  than  of  virtue  and  loyalty.    He 
recomnien^eo   them  for  correction    to  the  mercies  of   the 
Provost  Marshal,  whom  he  would  have  "  to  walk  the  country 


iii^ 


162 


POPULAR  HISTORY  OP  IRELAND. 


with  half  a  dozen  or  half  a  scor?  of  horsemen,"  in  quest  of 
the  treasonable  poets. 

As  this  was  the  age  of  the  general  difTusion  of  printing  w« 
may  observe  that  the  casting  of  Irish  type  for  the  use  of  Tri- 
nity College,  by  order  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  is  commonly  dated 
f  ;om  the  year  1691 ;  but  as  the  College  was  not  opened  for 
two  years  later  the  true  date  must  be  anticipated.  John 
Kearney,  Treasurer  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  who  died  about 
the  year  1600,  published  a  Protestant  Catechism  from  the 
College  Press,  whibh,  says  O'Reilly,  "  was  the  first  book  ever 
printed  in  Irish  types."  In  the  year  1593,  Florence  Conroy 
translated  from  the  Spanish  into  Irish  a  catechism  entitled 
"  Christian  Instruction,"  which,  he  states  in  the  preface,  he 
had  no  opportunity  of  sending  into  Ireland  "  until  the  year  of 
the  age  of  our  Lord  1598."  Whether  it  was  then  printed  we 
are  n9t  informed,  but  there  does  not  seem  to  have  been  any 
Irish  type  in  Catholic  hands  before  the  foundation  of  the  Irish 
College  at  Louvain  in  1616. 

The  merit  of  first  giving  to  the  press,  in  the  native  language 
of  the  country,  a  version  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  belongs 
clearly  to  Trinity  College.  Nicholas  Walsh,  Bishop  of  Ossory, 
who  died  in  1585,  had  commenced,  with  the  assistance  of  John 
Kearney,  to  translate  the  Qreek  Testament  into  Gaelic.  He 
had  also  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Nehemiah  Donnellan,  and  Dr. 
William  Daniel,  or  0' Daniel,  both  of  whom  subsequently  filled 
the  See  of  Tuam.  This  translation,  dedicated  to  King  James, 
and  published  by  O'Daniel  in  1603,  is  still  reprinted  by  the 
Bible  Societies.  The  first  Protestant  translation  of  the  Old 
Testament,  made  under  Bishop  Bedel's  eye,  and  with  such  re- 
vision of  particnlar  passages  as  his  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  language  enabled  him  to  suggest,  though  completed  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  I.,  was  not  published  before  the  year 
1680.  It  was  Bedel,  also  who  caused  the  English  liturgy  to 
be  recited  in  Irish,  in  his  Cathedral,  as  early  as  1630. 

Ireland  and  her  affairs  naturally  attracted,  during  Eliza- 
beth's reign,  the  attention  of  English  writers.  Of  these  it  is 
enough  to  mention  the  Poet  Spenser,  Secretary  to  Lord  Grey 
tte  Wilton,  Fynes  Moryson,  Secretary  to  Lord  Mountjoy,  and 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRELAKD. 


463 


A> 


the  Jesuit  Father,  Campian.    Campian,  early  distinguished  at 
Oxford,  was  employed  as  Cambrensis  had  been  four  centuries 
earher,  and  as  Plowden  was  two  centuries  later,  to  write  down 
everything  Irish.    He  crossed  the  Channel  in  1670,  and  com- 
posed two  books  rapidly,  without  accurate  or  full  information 
as  to  the  condition  or  history  of  the  country.    The  nearei 
view  of  Catholic  suffering  and  Catholic  constancy  exercised  a 
powerful  influence  on  this  accomplished  scholar ;  he  became 
a  convert  and  a  Jesuit.    For  members  of  that  order  there  was 
but  one  exit  out  of  life,  under  the  law  of  England :  he  suffered 
death  at  Tyburn  in  1581.    Richard  Stauihurst,  son  of  the 
Recorder  of  Dublin,  and  uncle  of  Archbishop  Usher,  went 
through  precisely  the  same  experiences  as  his  friend  Campian, 
except  that  he  died,  a  quarter  of  a  century  later,  Chaplain 
to  the  Archdukes  at  Brussels,  instead  of  expiring  l„  the  stake. 
His  English  hexameters  are  among  the  curiosities  of  literature, 
but  his  contributions  to  the  history  of  his  country,  especially 
his  allusions  to  events  and  characters  in  and  about  his  own 
time,  are  not  without  their  use.  Stanihurst  wrote  his  historical 
tracts,  as  did  Lombard  the  Catholic  and  Usher  the  Protestant 
Primate,  O'SuUivan,  White,  O'Meara,  and  almost  all  the  Irish 
writers  of  that  age,  without  exception,  in  the  Latin  language. 
The  first  Latin  book  printed  in  Ireland  is  thought  to  be 
O'Meara's  poem  in  praise  of  Thomas,  Earl  of  Ormond  and 
Ossory,  published  in  1615.    The  earliest  English  books  printed 
In  Ireland  are  unknown  to  me ;  the  collection  of  Anglo-Irish 
statutes,  ordered  to  be  published  while  Sir  Henry  Sidney  was 
Deputy,  was  the  most  important  undertaking  of  that  class  in 
the  reign  of  Elizabeth. 

As  to  institutions  of  learning,  if  we  except  Trinity  College, 
which  increased  rapidly  in  numbers  and  reputation  under  the 
patronage  of  the  Crown,  and  the  College  of  Saint  Nicholas,  at 
Gal  way— protected  by  it«  remote  situation  on  the  brink  of  the 
Atlantic— there  was  no  famous  seat  of  learning  left  in  the 
island.  In  the  next  reign  1,300  scholars  are  stated  to  have 
attended  that  western  "  school  of  humanity,"  when  the  Eccle- 
siastical Commissioners  despotically  ordered  it  to  be  closed, 
because  the  learned  Principal.  John  Lynch,   "  would    not 


4«4 


POPULAR  H18T0BT   OF  IBBLAND. 


conform  to  the  religion  established."  But  the  greater  nnni^ 
ber  of  the  children  of  Catholica,  who  still  retained  pro* 
perty  enough  to  educate  them,  were  sent  beyond  seas, 
a  fact  with  which  King  James,  soon  after  his  accession, 
reproached  the-  deputation  of  that  body.  A  proclama- 
tion issued  by  Lord  Deputy  Chichester,  in  1610,  al- 
ludes to  the  same  custom,  and  commands  all  noblemen, 
merch»s.nts  and  others,  whose  children  are  abroad  for 
educational  purposes,  to  recall  them  within  one  year  from  the 
date  thereof;  and  in  case  they  refuse  to  return,  all  parents, 
friends,  Ac.,  sending  them  money,  directly  or  indirectly,  will 
be  punished  as  severely  as  the  law  permits.  It  was  mainly 
to  guard  against  this  danger  that  "  the  School  of  Wards"  was 
established  by  Elizabeth,  and  enlarged  by  James  I.,  in  which 
the  great  Duke  of  Ormond,  Sir  Pholim  O'Neil,  Murrogh, 
Lord  Inchiquin,  and  other  sons  of  noble  families,  were  edu- 
cated for  the  next  generation.  Early  in  the  reign  of  James 
there  were  not  less  than  800  of  those  Irish  children  in  the 
Tower,  or  at  the  Lambeth  School,— and  it  is  humiliating  to  find 
the  great  name  of  Sir  Edward  Coke  among  those  who  gloried 
In  the  success  of  this  unnatural  substatation  of  the  State  fof 
the  Parent  in  the  work  of  education. 


rOPUIjkn    HISTORY    OF   IBKLAKI>. 


4«6 


BOOK.    IX. 

FROM  THE  ACCESSION  OP  JAMES  I  TILL 
THE  DEATH  OP  CROMWELL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

JAME8  I.— PLIGHT  OP  THE  BARlg— CONPIgOATIOK   OP   iTLSTEB^ 
PENAL   LAWS— PABLIAMBKTARY   OPP08ITI0W. 

James  the  Sixth  of  Scotland  was  in  his  87th  year  when  he 
ascended  the  throne  under  the  title  of  "  James  the  First  Kin<» 
of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland."  His  accession  naturally  eicited 
the  most  hopeful  expectations  of  good  government  in  the 
breasta  of  the  Irish  Catholics.    He  was  son  of  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots,  whom  they  looked  upon  as  a  martyr  to  her  religion 
and  grandson  of  that  gallant  King  James  who  styled  himself 
"Defender    of  the    Faith,"  and    " Dominus    mbernitr"  in 
introducing    the   first  Jesuits  to  the  Ulster  Princes.      His 
ancestors  had  always  been  in  alliance  with  the  Irish,  and  the 
antiquaries  of  that  nation  loved  to  trace  their  descent  from 
the  Scoto-Irish  chiefs  who  first  colonized  Argyle  and  were  for 
ages  crowned  at  Scone.    He  himself  was  known  to  have 
assisted  the  late  Catholic  struggle  as  efffectually,  though  less 
openly  than  the  King  of  Spain,  and  it  is  certain  that  he  had 
employed  Catholic  agents  like  Lord  Home  and  Sir  James 
Lindsay,  to  excite  an  interest  in  his  succession  among  the 
Catholics,  both  in  the  British  Islands  and  on  the  Continent. 

The  first  acts  of  the  new  sovereign  were  calculated  to  con- 
firm the  expectations  of    Catholic  liberty  thus  entertained. 


466 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


He  tvas  anxfons  to  make  an  Iramedlat©  aiM  lasting  peace  wilb 
Spain  ;  refused  to  receive  a  special  embassy  from  the  Hollan- 
ders ;  his  ambassador  at  Paris  was  known  to  be  on  terms  of 
intimacy  with  the  Pope's  Nuncio,  and  although  personally  he 
assumed  the  tone  of  an  Anglican  Churchman,  on  crossing  the 
border  he  had  invited  leading  Catholics  to  his  Court,  and  con- 
ferred the  honor  of  Knighthood  on  some  of  their  number. 
The  imprudent  demonstrations  in  the  Irish  towns  were  easily 
quieted,  and  no  immediate  notice  was  taken  of  their  leaders 
In  May,  1603,  Mountjoy,  on  whom  James  had  conferred  the 
higher  rank  of  Lord  Lieutenant,  leaving  Carew  as  Lord  Deputy, 
proceeded  to  England,   accompained  by    O'Neil,  Roderick 
O'Donnell,  Maguire,  and  other  Irish  gentlemen.    The  veteran 
Tyrone,  now  past  threescore,  though  hooted  by  the  London 
rabble,  v/as  graciously  received  in  that  court,  with  which  hf 
had  been  familiar  forty  years  before.     He  was  at  once  con 
firmed  in  his  title,  the  Earidom  of  Tyrconnell  was  created  foi 
O'Donnell,  and   the  Lordship   of   Enniskillen  for   Maguire. 
Mountjoy,  created  Earl  of  Devonshire,  retained  the  title  of 
Lord  Lieutenant,  Mth  permission  to  reside  in  England,  and 
was  rewarded  by  the  appointment  of  Master  of  the  Ordnance 
and  Warden  of  the  New  Forest,  with  an  ample  pension  from 
the  Crown  to  him  and  his  heirs  forever,  the  grant  of  the  county 
of  Lecale  (Down),  and  the  estate  of  Kingston  Hall,  in  Dorset- 
shire.   He  survived  but  three  short  years  to  enjoy  all  these 
riches  and  honors ;  at  the  age  of  44,  wasted  with  dissipation 
and  domestic  troubles,  he  passed  to  his  final  account. 

The  necessity  of  conciliating  the  Catholic  party  in  England, 
of  maintaining  peace  in  Ireland,  and  prosecuting  the  Spanish 
negotiations,  not  less,  perhaps,  than  his  own  original  bias,  led 
James  to  deal  favorably  with  the  Catholics  at  first.  But 
having  attempted  to  enforce  the  new  Anglican  Canons, 
adopted  in  1604,  against  the  Puritans,  that  party  retaliated  by 
raising  against  him  the  cry  of  favoring  the  Papists.  This  cry 
alarmed  the  King,  who  had  always  before  his  eyes  the  fear  of 
Presbyterianism,  and  he  accordingly  made  a  speech  in  th 
Star  Chamber,  declaring  his  utter  detestation  of  Popery,  and 
published  a  proclamation  banishing  all  Catholic  missionaries 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF    IRELAND. 


46T 


from  the  country.  All  magistrates  were  Instructed  to  enforce 
the  penal  laws  with  rigor,  and  an  elaborate  spy  system  for  the 
discovery  of  concealed  recusant*  was  set  on  foot.  This  reign 
.  of  treachery  and  terror  drove  a  few  desperate  men  into  the 
gunpowder  plot  of  the  following  year,  and  rendered  it  diffl. 
cult,  if  not  impossible,  for  the  King  to  return  to  the  policy  ol 
toleration,  with  which,  to  do  him  justice,  he  seems  to  have  del 
out  from  Scotland. 

Carew,  President  of  Munster  during  the  late  war,  became 
Deputy  to  Mountjoy  on  his  departure  for  England.    He  was 
succeeded  in  October,  1604,  by  Sir  Arthur  Chichester,  who, 
with  the  exception  of  occasional  absences  at  Court,  continued 
In  office  for  a  period  of  eleven  years.    This  nobleman,  a  uativ«» 
of  England,  furnishes,  in  many  points,  a  parallel  to  his  cotem- 
porary  and  friend,  Robert  Boyle,  Earl  of  Cork.    The  object 
of  his  life  was  to  found  and  to  endow  the  Donegal  peerage 
out  of  the  spoils  of  Ulster,  as  richly  as  Boyle  endowed  his 
earldom  out  of  the  confiscation  of  Munster.    Both  were  Puri- 
tans rather  than  Churchmen,  in  their  religious  opinions ;  Chi- 
chester, a  pupil  of  the  celebrated  Cartwright,  and  a  favorer 
all  his  life  of  the  congregational  clergy  in  Ulster.    But  they 
carried  their  repugnance  to  the  interference  of  the  civil  mag- 
istrate in  matters  of  conscience  so  discreetly  as  to  satisfy  the 
high  church  notions  both  of  James  and  Elizabeth.    For  th« 
violence  they  were  thus  compelled  to  exercise  against  them- 
selves, they  seem  to  have  found  relief  in  bitter  and  continuous 
persecution  of    others.        Boyle,  as  the  leading  spirit  in  the 
government  of  Munster,  as  Lord  Treasurer,  and  occasionally 
as  Lord  Justice,  had  ample   opportunities,  during  his  lon«» 
career  of  forty  years,  to  indulge  at  once  his  avarice  and  hlj 
bigotry  ;  and  no  situation  was  ever  more  favorable  than  Chi- 
chester's for  a  proconsul,  eager  to  enrich  himself  at  the  expense 
of  a  subjugated  Province. 

In  the  projected  work  of  the  reduction  of  the  whole  country  t« 
the  laws  and  customs  of  England,  it  is  instructive  to  observe  that 
a  Parliament  was  not  called  in  the  first  place.  The  reformers 
proceeded  by  proclamations,  letters  patent,  and  orders  in 
council,  not  by  legislation.    The  whole  island  was  divided  int« 


m 


168 


POPULAR   HISTORY   Of    IRKLAWD. 


82  rountles  and  6  Judicial  eircuiti,  all  of  itbich  were  Tinited 
by  Justices  in  the  second  or  third  year  of  this  reign  and  after- 
wards semi-annually.  On  the  Northern  Circuit  Sir  Edward 
Pelham  and  Sir  John  Davis  were  accompanied  by  the  Deputy 
in  i)orson  with  a  numerous  retinue.  In  some  places  the  towns 
were  so  wasted  by  the  late  war,  pestilence,  an»l  famine,  that 
the  Viceregal  party  were  obliged  to  camp  out  in  the  fleld«, 
and  to  carry  with  them  their  own  provisions.  The  Ct)urta 
were  held  in  ruined  castles  and  deserted  monasteries ;  Irish 
interpreters  were  at  every  step  found  necessary ;  sheriffs  were 
installed  in  Tyrone  and  Tyrconnell  for  the  first  time ;  all  law- 
yers appearing  in  court  and  all  joHtlces  of  the  peace  we/o 
tendered  the  oath  ot  supremacy— the  refusal  of  which  ne-tcs- 
sarlly  excluded  Catholics  both  from  the  bench  and  the 
bar.  An  enormous  amount  of  litigation  as  to  the  law  of  real 
property  was  created  by  a  judgment  of  the  Court  of  King's 
BencA  at  Dublin,  in  1606,  by  which  the  ancient  Irish  customs, 
of  tanistry  and  gavelkind,  were  declared  null  and  vo?d,  and  the 
entire  Feudal  system,  with  Its  rights  of  primogeniture,  heredi- 
tary succession,  entail,  and  vassalage,  was  held  to  exist  in  as 
full  force  as  in  England.  Very  evidently  this  decision  was  not 
less  a  violation  of  the  articles  of  Mellifont  than  was  the  King's 
proclamation  against  freedom  of  conscience  issued  about  the 
same  time. 

Sir  John  Davis,  who  has  left  us  two  very  interesting  tracts 
on  Irish  affairs,  speaking  of  the  new  legal  regulations  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  principal  superintendents,  observes 
that  the  old-fashioned  allowances  to  be  found  so  often  in  the 
Pipe-Rolls,  pro  gvidagio  et  spiagio,  into  the  interior,  may 
well  be  spared  thereafter,  since  "the  under  sherifft  and 
bailiflfe  errant  are  better  guides  and  spies  hi  time  of  peace 
than  they  were  found  in  time  of  war  "  He  a- Ids,  what  we 
may  very  well  believe,  that  the  Earl  o  '  .'  ao  ccmplalned  hf 
had  so  many  eyes  upon  him,  that  he  could  not  drink  a  cup  of 
sack  without  the  government  being  advertised  of  it  within  a 
few  hours  afterwards.  This  system  of  social  espionage,  so  re- 
pugnant to  all  the  habits  of  the  Celtic  family,  was  not  the 
»n1v  raode  of  annoyance  resorted  to  agaiost  the  veteran  chiet 


FOrULAR   HI8T0RT   OF   IRELAND. 


469 


Every  former  cUpendant  who  co«ld  b«  Induced  to  dispute  hli 
claims  08  a  landh.rd,  under  the  new  relations  egtabllBhed  by 
the  Jate  (leciaion,  was  Hure  of  a  judgment  in  his  favor.    Di,- 
putes  about  boundaries  with  O'Cane,   about  the   commuta- 
ton   of   chieftain-rents    Into   tenantry,  about   church   land. 
Claimed  by  Montgomery,  Protostaci  Bishop  of  Derry  were 
almost  Invariably  decided  against  him.     Harassed    by  these 
proceedmgs.  and  all  uncertain  of  the  future.  O'Neil  listened 
willingly  to  the  treacherous  suggestion  of  St.  Lawrence, 
Lord  Iiowth,  that  the  leading  Catholics  of  the  Pale,  and  those 
of  Ulster,  should   endeavor  to  form  another  confederation. 
The  execution  of  Father  Garnet,  Provincial  of  the  Jesuits  in 
England,  the  heavy  fines  inflicted  on  Lords  Stourton.  Mor- 
daunt.  and  Montague,  and  the  new  oath  of  allegiance,  framed 
by  Archbishop  Abbott,  and  sanctioned  by  the  English  Parlia- 

ITr^u  L^'^""^  °^  '^^  ^'*'  1006-were  calculated  to  inspire 
the  Irish  Catholics  with  desperate  councils.     A  dutiful  remon- 
strance  against  the  Act  of  Uniformity  the  previous  year  had 
been  signed  by  the  principal  Anglo-Irish  Catholics  for  trans- 
mission  to  the  King,  but  their  delegates  were  seized  and  im- 
prisoned  m  the  Castle,  while  their  principal  agent.  Sir  Patrick 
Barnwell,  was  sent  to  London  and  confined  In  the  Tower     A 
meeting  at  Lord  Howth's  suggestion  was  held  about  Christ- 
mas  1606.  at  the  Castle  of  Maynooth.  then  in  possession  of 
the  dowager  Countess  of  Kildare,  one  of  whose  daughters  was 
married  to  Christopher  Negent,  Baron  of  Delvin,  and  her 
granddaughter  to  Rory,  Eari  of   Tyrconnell.     There  wero 
present    O'Nei ,   O'Donnell,  and    O'Cane,  on  the  one    part, 
and  Lords  Delvin  and  Howth  on  the  other.     The  precis, 
result  of  this  conference,  disguised  under  the  pretext  of 
a  Chnstmas  party,  was  never  made  known,  but  the  fact  that 
It  had  been  held,  and  that  the  parties  present  had  enter- 
tamed  the  project  of  another  confederacy  for  the  defense 
of   the  Catholic    religion,  was    mysteriously  communicated 
In  an    anonymous    letter,  directed    to    Sir  William    Usher. 
Clerk  of  the  Council,  which  was  dropped  In  the  Council  Cham- 
ber  of  Dublin  Castle,  in  March,  1607.    This  letter  it  is  now 
generally  believed  was  written  by  Lord  Howth,  who  wag 
40 


IMM 


470 


POPULAR  HKSTORY   OF  IRELVND. 


thought  to  have  been  employed  by  Secretary  Cecil,  to  entrap 
the  northern  Earls,  in  order  to  betray  them.    In  May,  O'Neil  . 
and  O'Donnell  were  cited  to  attend  the  Lord  Deputy  in  Dublin, 
but  the  charges  were  for  the  time  kept  in  abeyance,  and  they 
were  ordered  to  appear  in  London  before  the  feast  of  Michael- 
mas.    Early  in  September  O'Neil  was  with    Chichester  at 
SI  ne,  in  Meath,  when  he  received  a  letter  from  Maguire,  who 
had  been  out  of  the  country,  conveying  information  on  which 
he  immediately  acted.    Taking  leave  of  the  Lord  Deputy  as 
if  to  prepare  for  his  journey  to  London,  he  made  some  stay 
with  his  old  friend,  Sir  Garrett  Moore,  at  Mellifont,  on  parting 
from  whose  family  he  tenderly  bade  farewell  to  the  children 
and  even  the  servants,  and  was  observed  to  shed  tears.    At 
Dungannon  he  remained  two  days,  and  on  the  shore  of  Lough- 
Swilly  he  joined  O'Donnell  and  others  of  his  connexions.    The 
Fremih  ship,  in  which  Maguire  had  returned,  «v««5ted  them  off 
Rathmullen,  and  there  they  took  shipping  'or  France.    With 
O'Neil  in  that  sorrowful  company,  were  his  kit  countess,  Cathe- 
rine, daughter  of  Magennis,   his  three  sons,  Hugh,  John,  and 
Brian  ;  his  nephew  Art,  son  of  Cormac,  Rory  O'Donnell,  Caflfar, 
his  brother,  Nuala,  his  sister,  who  had  forsaken  her  husband 
NJal   Oarve,  when  he  forsook  his  country;  the  lady  Rose 
O'Doherty,   wife  of   Caffar,   arid    afterwards   of    Owen  Roe 
O'Neil;  Maguire,  Owen  MacWard,  chief  bard  of  Tyrconneli, 
and  several  others.     "Woe  to  the  heart  that  meditated,  woe 
to  the  mind  that  conceived,  woe  to  the  council  that  decided 
on  the  project  of  that  voyage !"  exclaimed  the  Annalists  of 
Donegal,  in  the  next  age.    Evidently  it  was  the  judgment  of 
their  immediate  successors  that  the  flight  of  the  eavls  was  a 
rash  and  irremediable  step  for  them  ;  but  th'?  information  on 
which  they  acted,  if  not  long  since  destroyed,  has,  as  yet, 
never  been  made  public.    We  can  pronounce  no  judgment  Ri 
to  the  wisdom  of  their  conduct,  from  the  incomplete  state- 
ments at  present  in  our  possession. 

There  remained  now  few  barriers  to  the  wholesale  confisca- 
tion of  Ulster,  so  long  sought  by  "  the  Undertakers,"  and 
these  were  rapidly  removed.  Sir  Cahir  O'Doherty,  chief  oi 
Innishowen,  although  he  bad  earned  his  Knighthood  while  a 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP  IRTBLAND. 


411 


mere  lad  fighting  by  the  side  of  Dowcra,  in  an  altercation 
with  S;r  George  Paulett,  Qovernor  of  Derry,  was  taunted  with 
conniving  at  the  escape  of  the  Earls,  and  Paulett  in  his  pas- 
Bion   struck  him  in  the  face.    The  youthful  chief-he  waa 
scarcely  one  and  twenty-was  driven  almost  to  madness  by 
this  outrage.    On  the  night  of  the  3d  of  May,  by  a  successful 
tratagem  he  got  possession  of  Culmore  fort,  at  the  mouth  of 
Lough  Foyle,  and  before  morning  .dawned  had  surprised 
Derry ;  Paulett,  his  insulter,  he  slew  with  his  own  hand,  most 
of  the  garrison  were  slaughtered,  and  the  town  reduced  to 
ashes.    Nial  Oarve  O'Donnell,  who  had  been  cast  off  by  his 
old  protectors,  was  charged  with  sending  him  supplies  and 
men,  and  for  three  months  he  kept  the  field,  hoping  that  every 
gale  might  bring  him  assistance  from  abroad.    But  those 
Bame  summer  months  and  foreign  climes  had  already  proved 
fatal  to  many  of  the  exiles,  whose  co-operation  he  invoked 
In  July  Rory  O'Donnell  expired  at  Rome,  in  August  Maguire 
died  at  Genoa,  on  his  way  to  Spain,  and  in  September  Caffar 
0  Donnell  was  laid  in  the  same  grave  with  his  brother,  on  St 
Peter's  hill.    O'Neil  survived  his  comrades,  as  he  had  done  his' 
fortunes,  and  like  another  Belisarius,  blind  and  old  and  i  pen- 
sioner on  the  bounty  of  strangers,  he  lived  on,  eight  weary 
years,  in  Rome.    O'Doherty,  enclosed  in  his  native  peninsula 
between  the  forces  of  the  Marshal  Wingfleld  and  Sir  Oliver 
Lambert,  Governor  of  Connaught,  fell  by  a  chance  shot,  at 
the  rock  of  Doon,    in   Kilmacrenan.    The  superfluous  traitor, 
Nial  Garve.  was,  with  his  sons,  sent  to  London  and  imprisoned  in 
the  tower  for  life.    In  those  dungeons,  Cormac,  brother  of 
Hugh  O'Neil,  and  O'Cane  also  languished  out  their  days,  vie- 
tims  to  the  careless  or  vindictive  temper  of  King  James.'   Sir 
Arthur    Chichester    received,    soon    after    these    events,    a 
grant  of  the  entire  barony  of  Innishowen,  and  subsequently  a 
grant  of  the  borough  of  Dungannon,  with  1,300  acres  adjoin- 
ing; Wingfleld  obtained  the  district  of  Percullan  near  Dublin, 
with  the  title  of  Viscount  Powerscourt ;  Lambert  was  soon 
after  made  Earl  of  Cavan,  and  enriched  with  the  lands  of 
Carig,  and  other  estates  in  that  county. 
To  -justify  at  once  the  measures  he  proposed,  as  well  as  t# 


.  V^ 
w 


a 


« ■ 


412 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP  IRELAND. 


divert  from  the  exiles  the  sympathies  of  Europe,  King  James 
Issued  a  proclamation  bearing  date  the  5th  of  November, 
1608,  giving  to  the  world  the  English  version  of  the  flight  of 
the  Earls.    The  whole  of  Ulster  was  then  surveyed  in  a  cur- 
sory manner  by  a  staff  over  which  presided  Sir  William  Par- 
sons as   Surveyor-General.     The  surveys  being   completed 
early  in  1609,  a  royal  commission  was  issued  to  Chichester, 
Lambert,  St.  John,  Eidgeway,  Moore,  Davie,     and  Parsocs, 
with  the  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  and  the  Bishop  of  Derry,  to 
inquire  into  the  portions  forfeited.    Before  these  Commission- 
ers Juries  were  sworn  on  each  particular  case,  and  these 
Juries  duly  found  that,  in  consequence  of  "  the  rebellion"  of 
O'Neil,  O'Donnell,  and  O'Doherty,  the  entire  six  counties  of 
Ulster,  enumerated  by  baronies  and  parishes,  were  forfeited 
to  the  Crown.    By  direction  from  England  the  Irish  Privy 
Council  submitted  a  scheme  for  planting  these  counties  "with 
colonies  of  civil  men  well  affected  in  religion,"  which  scheme, 
with  several  modifications  suggested  by  the  English  Privy 
Council,  was   finally  promulgated   by   the  royal    legislator 
under  the  title  of  "  Orders  and  Conditions  for  the  Planters." 
According  to  the  division  thus  ordered,  upwards  of  43,000 
acres  were  cl.  imed  and  conceded  to  the  Primate  and  the 
Protestant  Bishops  of  Ulster ;  in  Tyrone,  Derry,  and  Armagh, 
Trinity  College  got  30,000  acres  with  six  advowsons  in  each 
county.    The  various  trading  guilds  of  the  city  of  London- 
such  as  the  drapers,  vintners,  cordwainers,  drysalters— ob- 
tained in  the  gross  209,800  acres,  including  the  city  of  Derry, 
which  they  rebuilt  and  fortified,  adding  London  to  its  ancient 
name.     The   grants  to  individuals  were  divided  into  three 
classes— 2,000,  1,500,  and  1,000  acres  each.    Among  the  con- 
ditions  on  which  these  grants  were  given  was  this—"  that  they 
should  not  suffer  any  laborer,  that  would  not  take  the  oath  of 
supremacy,"  to  dwell  upon  their  lands.    But  this  despotic 
condition— equivalent  to  sentence  of  death  on  tens  of  thou- 
Bands  of  the  native  peasantry— was  forturately  found  imprac- 
ticable in  the  execution.    Land  was  little  worth  without  hands 
to  till  it ,  laborers  enough  could  not  be  obtained  from  Eng- 
land and  Scotland,  and  the  Hamiltons,  Stewarts,  Folliots,  Chi* 


POPULAR   HISTORY  OF  IRELAND. 


478 


ehe8terfl,  and  Lamberte,  having,  from  sheer  necessity,  to 
choose  between  Irish  cultivators  and  letting  their  new  ostites 
l~de       "°P^°«'*^^*'' ^'  "  "««d^«»  to  say  what  choice 

The  spirit  of  religious  persecution  was  exhibited  not  only  in 
the  means  taken  to  exterminate  the  peasantry,  to  destroy  tho 
northern  chiefs,  and  to  intimidate  the  Catholics  of  "  the  Pale- 
by  abuse  of  law,  but  by  many  cruel  executions.  The  Prior 
of  the  famous  retreat  of  Lough  Derg  was  one  of  the  victims 
Of  this  persecution;  a  Priest  named  O'Loughrane,  who  had 
accidentally  sailed  in  the  same  ship  w.th  the  Earls  to  Prance 

Conor    0  Devany,  Bishop  of  Down  and  Connor,  an  octo.ena- 
nan  suffered  martyrdom  with  heroic  constancy  at  Difblin,  in 
1611.    Two  years  before,  Jolm,  Lord  Burke  of  Brittas    was 
executed  in  like  manner  on  a  charge  of  having  participated 
in  the  Catholic  demonstrations  which  took  place  at  Limerick 
on  the  accession  of  King  Jam^s.    The  edict  of  1610  in  relation 
to  Catholic  children  educated  abroad  has  been  quoted  in  a 
previous  chapter,  apropos  of  education,  but  the  scheme  sub- 
mitted  by  Knox,  Bishop  of  Raphoe,  to  Chichester  in  1611  went 
even  beyond  that  edict.    In  this  project  it  was  proposed  that 
whoever  should  be  found  to  harbor  a  Priest  should  forfeit  all 
his  possessions  to  the  Crown-that  quarterly  returns  should  be 
made  out  by  counties  of  all  who  refused  to  take  the  oath  of 
supremacy,  or  to  attend  the  English  Church  service-that  no 
Papis    should  be  permitted  to  exercise  the  function  of  a 
schoolmaster;  and,  moreover, that  all  churches  injured  durini; 
nLv  '  77^^:^^^  ^«  ^''P^i^^d  at  the  expense  of  the  Papist 
inhabitants  for  the  use  of  the  Anglican  congregation. 

Very  unexpectedly  to  the  nation  at  large,  after  a  lapse  of 
27  years,  during  which  no  Parliament  had  been  held,  writs 
were  issued  for  the  attendance  of  both  Houses,  at  Dublin,  on 
he  18th  of  May,  1613.  The  work  of  confiscation  and  pla^ta- 
tion  had  gone  on  for  several  years  without  the  sanction  of  the 
legislature,  and  men  were  at  a  loss  to  conceive  for  what  pur- 
pose elections  were  now  ordered,  unless  to  invent  new  penal 
laws,  or  to  impose  fresh  burdens  on  the  country.    With  aU 


|tji 


1  i' 


Hi  ^ 


(    11 


474 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP  IRELAND. 


the  efforts  which  had  been  made  to  introduce  civil  men,  weB 
affected  in  religion,  it  was  certain  that  the  Catholics  would 
return  a  large  majority  of  the  House  of  Commons,  not  only  in 
the  chief  towns,  but  from  the  fifteen  old,  and  seventeen  new 
counties,  lately  created.  To  counterbalance  this  majority 
over  40  boroughs,  returning  two  members  each,  were  created, 
by  royal  charter,  in  places  thinly  or  not  at  all  inhabited,  or 
where  towns  were  merely  projected  on  the  estates  of  leading 
"  Undertakers."  Against  the  issue  of  writs  returnable  by 
these  fictitious  corporations,  the  Lords  Gormanstown,  Slane, 
Killeen,  Trimbleston,  Dunsany,  and  Howth,  signed  an  humble 
remonstrance  to  the  King,  concluding  with  a  prayer  for  the 
Felaxation  of  the  penal  laws  affecting  religion.  The  King, 
whose  notions  of  prerogative  were  extravagantly  high,  was 
highly  incensed  at  this  petition  of  the  Catholic  peers  of  Leins- 
ter,  and  Chichester  proceeded  with  his  full  approbation  to 
pack  the  Parliament.  At  the  elections,  however,  many  "  recu- 
sant lawyers"  and  other  Catholic  candidates  were  returned,  so 
that  when  the  day  of  meeting  arrived  101  Catholic  representa- 
tives assembled  at  Dublin,  some  accompanied  by  bands  of 
from  100  to  200  armed  followers.  The  supporters  of  the  gov- 
ernment claimed  125  votes,  and  six  were  found  to  be  absent, 
making  the  whole  number  of  the  House  of  Commons  232. 
The  Upper  House  consisted  of  50  Peers,  of  whom  there  were 
25  Protestant  Bishops,  so  that  the  Deputy  was  certain  of  a  ma- 
jority in  that  chamber,  on  all  points  of  ecclesiastical  legislation, 
at  least.  Although,  with  the  facts  before  us,  we  cannot  agree 
with  Sir  John  Davis  that  King  James  I.  gave  Ireland  her  "  first 
free  Parliament,"  it  is  impossible  not  to  entertain  a  high  sense 
of  admiration  for  the  constitutional  firmness  of  the  recusant  or 
Catholic  party  in  that  assembly.  At  the  very  outset  they  suc- 
cessfully resisted  the  proposition  to  meet  in  the  Castle, 
surrounded  by  the  Deputy's  guards,  as  a  silent  menace.  They 
next  contended  that  before  proceeding  to  the  election  of 
Speaker  the  Council  should  submit  to  the  Judges  the  decision 
of  the  alleged  invalid  elections.  A  tumultuous  and  protracted 
ilebate  was  had  on  this  point.  The  Castle  party  argued  that 
»hey  should  first  elect  a  Speaker  and  then  proceed  to  try  the 


I! 


POPULAR   HISTORY   OP   IRELAKD.  4'J5 

electioTis ;   the  Catholics  contended  that  there  were  persons 
present  whose  votes  would  determine  the  3peakership.  but 
who  had  no  more  tltl.  in  law  than  the  horseboys  at  the  door 
Tins  was  the  preliminary  trial  of     rength.    The  candidate  of 
the  Castle  for  the  Speakership  was  Sir  John  Davis,    of  the 
Catholics,  Sir  John  Everard,  who  had  resigned  his  seat  on 
the  bench  rather  than  take  the  oath  of  supremacy  framed 
by    Archbishop    Abbott.      The  Castle    party    having   gone 
into  the  lobby  to  be  counted  the  Catholics  placed  Sir  John 
Everard  in  the  Chair.    On  their  return  the  government  sup. 
porters  placed  Sir  John  Davis   in  Everard's  lap.  and  a  scena 
of  violent  disorder  ensued.    The  House  broke  up  in  confusion  • 
the  recusants  in  a  body  declared  their  intention  not  to  be  pre^ 
sent  at  its  deliberations,  and  the  Lord  Deputy  finding  them 
resolute  suddenly  prorogued  the  session.    Both  parties  se«t 
deputies  to  England  to  lay  their  complaints  at  the  foot  of  the 
throne.    The  Catholic  spokesmen,  Talbot  and  Lutrell,  were 
received  with  a  storm  of  reproaches,  and  committed  the  for- 
mer  to  the  Tower,  the  other  to  the  Fleet  Prison.    They  were 
however  released  after  a  brief  confinement,  and  a  Commission 
was  issued  to  inquire  into  the  alleged  electoral  frauds     By  the 
ad  vice  of  Everard  and  others  of  their  leaders,  a  compromise  was 
effected  with  the  Castle  party ;  members  returned  for  boroughs 
incorporated  after  the  writs  were  issued  were  declared  ex- 
eluded,  the  contestation  of  seats  on  other  grounds  of  irre-ular- 
ty  were  withdrawn,  and  the  House  accordingly  proceed^ed  to 
the   business   for  which    they  were    called    together.      The 
chief  acts  of  the  sessions   of  1614,  '15  and  '16,  beside  the 
grant  of  four  entire  subsidies  to  the  Crown,  were  an  Act 
joyfully  recognizing  the  King's  title;  acts  repealing  statutes 
of  Elizabeth  and  Henry  VIII.,  as  to  distinctions  of  race  •  an 
act  repealing  the  3  and  4  ef  Philip  and  Mary,  against  "  brin^- 

ni   r^V"*^  i!'''^"^'"  ^"^   '^'  ^"'^  °^  ^''^^^^^'  against 
0  Ne.l.  0  Donnell  and  O'Doherty.     The  recusant  minority  have 

been  heavily  censured  by  our  recent  historians  for  consenting 

to  these  attainders     Though  the  censure  may  be  in  part  de- 

served,  it  is  nevertheless  clear  that  they  had  not  the  power  to 

prevent  their  passage,  even  if  they  had  been  unanimous  it 


■:] 


-i . 


I 


I  7 


4T« 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP   IRELAND 


their  opposition ;  but  they  had  influence  enough,  fortunately, 
to  oblige  the  government  to  withdraw  a  sweeping  penal  law 
which  it  was  intended  to  propose.  An  Act  of  oblivion  and 
amnesty  was  also  passed,  which  was  of  some  advantage.  On 
the  whole,  both  for  the  constitutional  principles  which  they 
upheld,  and  the  religious  proscription  which  they  resisted, 
the  Becusant  minority  in  the  Irish  Parliament  of  James  I. 
deserve  to  be  held  in  honor  by  all  who  value  religious  and 
«ivil  liberty. 


CHAPTER  II. 


liABT  TEAB8  OP  JAMES — CONFISCATION  OP   THB   MIDLAND  COUN- 
tlES 
— ADMINISTRATION   OP    LORD   STRAPFORD. 


ACCESSION  OP  CHARLES  I. — GRIEVANCES  kSV  "  GRACES*' 


From  the  dissolution  of  James's  only  Irish  Parliament  id 
October,  1616,  until  the  tenth  of  Charles  I. — an  interval  of 
twenty  years — the  government  of  the  country  was  again  exclu- 
sively regulated  by  arbitrary  proclamations  and  orders  in  Coun- 
cil. Chichester,  after  the  unusually  long  term  of  eleven  years, 
had  leave  to  retire  in  1816 ;  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Lord 
Grandison,  who  held  the  oflSce  of  Lord  Deputy  for  six  years, 
and  he,  in  turn,  by  Henry  Carey,  Viscount  Falkland,  who  gov- 
erned from  1622  till  1629 — seven  years.  Nothing  could  well 
be  more  fluctuating  than  the  policy  pursued  at  different  periods 
by  these  Viceroys  and  their  advisers  ;  violent  attempts  at 
coercion  alternated  with  the  meanest  devices  to  extort  money 
from  the  oppressed  ;  general  declarations  against  recusants 
were  repeated  with  increased  vehemence,  while  particular 
treaties  for  a  local  and  conditional  toleration  were  notoriously 
progressing ;  in  a  word,  the  administration  of  affairs  exhibited 
all  the  worst  vices  and  weaknesses  of  a  despotism,  without 
any  of  the  steadiness  or  magnanimity  of  a  really  paternal  gov- 
ernment. Some  of  the  edicts  issued  deserve  particular  notice 
as  characterizing  the  administrations  of  Orandison  and  Falkland* 


POPULAR  HIsrORY  OF  IRELAND. 


471 


The  municipal  authorities  of  Waterford,  having  inTariabl, 
refused  to  take  the  oath  of  supremacy,  were  by  an  order  in 
CouncJ  deprived  of  their  ancient  charter,  which  was  withheld 
from  them  for  nine  years.    The  ten  shilling  tax  on  recuhants 
for  non-attendance  at  the  Anglican  service  was  rigorously 
enforced  in  other  cities,  and  was  almost  invariably  levied  with 
costs,  which  not  seldom  swelled  the  ten  shillings  to  ten  pounds. 
A  new  instrument  of  oppression  was,  also  in  Lord  Grandison's 
time,  invented—"  the  Commission  for  the  Discovery  of  Defect- 
ive Titles."    At  the  head  of  this  Commission  was  placed  Sir 
Will.am  Parsons,  the  Surveyor- General,  who  had  come  into 
the  kingdom  in  a  menial  situation,  and  had,  through  a  long 
half  century  of  guile  and  cruelty,  contributed  as  much  to  the 
destruction  of  its  inhabitants,  by  the  perversion  of  law,  as  any 
armed  conqueror  could  have  done  by  the  edge  of  the  sword 
Ulster  being  already  applotted,  and  Munster  undergoing  the 
manipulation  of  the  new  Earl  of  Cork,  there  remained  as  a  field 
for  the  Parsons  Commission  only  the  Midland  Counties  and  Con- 
nanght.    Of  these  they  made  the  most  in  the  shortest  space  of 
time.    A  horde  of  clerkly  spies  wore  employed  under  the  name 
of  "  Discoverers,"  to  ransack  old  Irish  tenures  in  the  archives 
of  Dublin  and  London,  with  such  good  success,  that  in  a  very 
short  time  66,000  acres  in  Wicklow,  and  385,000  acres  in 
Leitrim,   Longford,  the    Meaths,  and    King's    and    Queen's 
Counties,  were  "found  by  inquisition  to  be  vested  in  the 
Crown."     The  means  employed  by  the  Commissioners,  in 
some  caaes,  to  elicit  such  evidence  as  they  required,  were  of 
the  most  revolting  description.    In  the  Wicklow  case,  courts- 
martial  were  held,  before  which  unwilling  witnesses   were 
tried  on  the  charge  of  treason  and  some  actually  put  to 
death.    Archer,  one  of  the  number,  had  his  flesh  burned  with 
red  hot  iron,  and  was  placed  on  a  gridiron  over  a  charcoal 
fire,  till  he  offered  to  testify  anything  that  was  necessary. 
Yet  on  evidence  so  obtained  whole  baronies  and  counties 
were  declared  forfeited  to  the  Crown. 

The  recusants,  though  suffering  under  every  sort  of  injustice, 
and  kept  in  a  state  of  continual  apprehension— a  condition 
worse  even  than  the  actual  horrors  they  endured-counted 


'i 


l>  4i\ 


$ 


478 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OF   IRELAND. 


many  educated  and  wealthy  persons  In  their  ranks,  beside* 
mustering  fully  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  whole  population. 
They  were,  therefore,  far  from  being  politically  powerless. 
The  recall  of  Lord  Orandisou  from  the  government  was  attri- 
buted to  their  direct  or  indirect  influence  upon  the  King 
When  James  Ussher,  then  Bishop  of  Moath,  preached  before 
his  successor  from  the  text  "  He  beareth  not  the  sword  in 
vain,"  they  were  PufBciently  formidable  to  compel  him  pub- 
licly to  apologize  for  his  violent  allusions  to  their  body.  Per- 
haps, however,  we  should  mainly  see  in  the  comparative  tolera- 
tion, extended  by  Lord  Falkland,  an  effect  of  the  diplomacy 
then  going  on,  for  the  marriage  of  Prince  Charles  to  the 
Jnfanta  of  Spain.  When,  in  1623,  Pope  Gregory  XV.  granted 
a  dispensation  for  this  marriage,  James  solemnly  swore  to  a 
private  article  of  the  marriage  treaty,  by  which  he  bound  him- 
self to  suspend  the  execution  of  the  Penal  lawi,  to  procure 
their  repeal  in  Parliament,  and  to  grant  a  toleration  of  Catholic 
worship  in  private  houses.  But  the  Spanish  match  was  unex- 
pectedly broken  off,  immediately  after  his  decease  (June, 
16r,6),  whereupon  Charles  married  Henrietta  Maria,  daughter 
of  Henry  IV.  of  France. 

The  new  monarch  inherited  from  his  father  three  kingdoms 
heaving  in  the  throes  of  disaffection  and  rebellion.  In  Eng- 
land the  most  formidable  of  the  malcontents  were  the  Puritans, 
who  reckoned  many  of  the  first  nobility,  and  the  ablest  mem- 
bers of  the  House  of  Commons  among  their  chiefs ;  the  resto- 
ration of  episcopacy,  and  the  declaration  by  the  subservieu'> 
Parliament  of  Scotland,  that  no  General  Assembly  should  bo 
called  without  the  King's  sanction,  had  laid  the  sure  foundations 
of  a  religious  insurrection  in  the  North;  while  the  events, 
which  we  have  already  described,  filled  the  minds  of  all  orders 
of  men  in  Ireland  with  agitation  and  alarm.  The  marriage  of 
Charles  with  Henrietta  Maria  gave  a  ray  of  assurance  to  the 
coreligionists  of  the  young  Queen,  for  they  had  not  then  discov- 
ered that  it  was  ever  the  habit  of  the  Stuarts  "  to  sacrifice 
their  friends  to  the  fear  of  their  enemies."  While  he  was  yet 
celebrating  his  nuptials  at  Whitehall,  surrounded  by  Catholic 
guests,  the  House  of  Commons  presented  Charles  "  a  pious 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OP   IRELAND. 


479 


"-< 


petition,"  praying  tim  to  put  into  force  the  laws  against  recu- 
8»nts ;  a  prayer  whicli  he  was  compelled  by  motives  of  r.olic, 
to  answer  in  the  affirmative.    The  magistrates  of  England  re- 
ceired  orders  accordingly,  and  when  the  King  of  France  re. 
monstrated  against  this  flagrant  breach  of  one  of  the  articles 
of  the  marriage  treaty  (the  same  included  in  the  terms  of  the 
Spanish  match),  Charles  answered  that  he  had  never  looked 
on  the  promised  toleration  as  anything  but  an  artifice  to  se- 
cure the  Papal  dispensation.    But  the  King's  compliance  failed 
to  satisfy  the  Puritan  party  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  that 
same  year  began  their  contest  with  the  Crown,  which  ended 
only  on  the  scaffold  before  Whitehall  in  1648.    Of  their  twenty- 
three  years'  struggle,  except  in  so  far  ae  it  enters  directly  into 
our  narrative,  we  shall  have  little  to  say,  beyond  reminding  the 
reader,  from  time  to  time,  that  though  it  occasionally  lulled 
down  it  was  never  wholly    allayed      on  either  side. 

Irish  affairs,  in  the  long  continued  suspension  of  the  func- 
tions of  Parliament,  were  administered  in  general  by  the  Privy 
Council,  and  in  detail  by  three  special  courts,  all  established 
in  defiance  of  ancient  constitutional  usage.    These  were  the 
Court  of  Castle  Chamber,  modelled  on  the  English  Star  Cham- 
ber,  and  the  Ecclesiastical  High  Commissioners  Court   both 
dating  from  1563 ;  and  the  Court  of  Wards  and  Liveries  ori- 
gmally  founded  by  Henry  VIII.,  but  lately  remodelled   by 
James.    The  Castle  Chamber  was  composed  of  certain  selected 
members  of  the  Privy  Council  acting  in  secret  with  absolute 
power;  the  High  Commission  Court  was  constituted  under 
James  and  Charles,  of  the  principal  Archbishops  and  Bishops 
with  the  Lord  Deputy,  Chancellor,  Chief  Justice,  Master  of 
the  Rolls,  Master  of  the  Wards,  and  some  others,  laymen  and 
jurists.    They  were  armed  with  unlimited  power  "  to  visit 
reform,  redress,  order,  correct  and  amend,  all  such  errors,  here- 
sies, schisms,  abuses,  offences,  contempts  and  enormities,"  as 
came  under  the  head  of  spiritual  or  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction. 
They  were,  in  effect,  the  Castle  Chamber,  acting  as  a  spiritual 
tribunal  of  last  resort;    and  were  provided  with  their  own 
officers,  Registers  and  Receivers  of  Pines,  Pursuivants,  Crieri 
tod  Gaolers.     The  Court  of  Wards  exorcised  a  jurisdiction,  if 


Vmd 


IT 


■'i 


ill 


480 


POPDIiAR  HISTORY  OF   IRELAND. 


possible,  more  repugnant  to  our  first  notions  of  liberty  tban 
that  of  the  High  Commission  Court.  It  retained  its  original 
power  "  to  bargain  and  sell  the  custody,  wardship  and  mar- 
riage," of  all  the  heirs  of  such  persons  of  condition  as  died  ii 
the  King's  homage ;  but  their  powers,  by  royal  letters- patent 
of  the  year  1617,  were  to  be  exercised  by  a  Master  of  Wards, 
with  an  Attorney  and  Surveyor,  all  nominated  by  the  Crown. 
The  Court  was  entitled  to  farm  all  the  property  of  its  Wards 
during  nonage,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Crown,  "  taking  one 
year's  rent  from  heirs  male,  and  two  from  heirs  female,"  for 
charges  of  stewardship.  The  first  master,  Sir  William  Par- 
sons, waa  appointed  in  1622,  and  confirmed  at  the  beginning 
of  the  next  reign,  with  a  salary  of  £300  per  annum,  and  the 
riglit  to  rank  next  to  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Kind's  Bench  at 
the  Privy  Council.  By  this  appointment  the  minor  heirs  of 
all  the  Catholic  proprietors  were  placed,  both  as  to  person 
and  property,  at  the  absolute  disposal  of  one  of  the  most 
intense  anti-Catholic  bigots  that  ever  appeared  on  the  scene 
of  Irish  affairs. 

In  addition  to  these  civil  grievances  an  order  had  lately 
been  issued  to  increase  the  army  in  Ireland  by  5,000  men, 
and  means  of  subsistence  had  to  be  found  for  that  aditional 
force,  within  the  kingdom.  In  reply  to  the  murmurs  of  the 
inhabitants  they  were  assured  by  Lord  Falkland  that  the 
King  was  their  friend,  and  that  any  just  and  temperate  repre- 
sentation of  their  grievances  would  secure  his  careful  and 
instant  attention.  So  encouraged,  the  leading  Catholics  con- 
voked a  General  Assembly  of  their  nobility  and  gentry,  "  with 
several  Protestants  of  rank,"  at  Dublin,  in  the  year  1628,  in 
order  to  present  a  dutiful  statement  of  their  complaints  to  the 
King.  The  minutes  of  this  important  Assembly,  it  is  to  be 
feared,  are  forever  lost  to  us.  We  only  know  that  it  included 
A  large  number  of  landed  proprietors,  of  whom  the  Catholics 
were  sdll  a  very  numerous  section.  "  The  entire  proceedings 
of  this  Assembly,"  says  Dr.  Taylor,  "  were  marked  by  wisdom 
end  moderation.  They  drew  up  a  number  of  articles,  in  the 
nature  of  a  Bill  of  Rights,  to  which  they  humbly  solicited  the 
royal  assent,  and  promised  that,  on  their  being  granted,  the) 


Torm.An  histort  of  Ireland. 


481 


would  raise  a  roluntary  assesament  of  £1      ooo  fo,  th<,  ^ie  of 

ZeclZ  J'''  '''T'  '^^"^^^^  '"  th.e  'graced  11 
wore  called,  were  provisions  for  the  security  of  property,  the 

,ction'TT"T  ^^ '»"««-' ^^«  P--ntion  of  military    x- 
%ct.on8.  the  freedom  of  trade,  the  better  regulation  of  the 

a  teal  court..    Finally,  they  provided  that  the  Scots,  who 

sesl  T""^  ^"  ''''^''  ^'^"^^  ^«  -^-«d  in  thei    pos- 

sessions,  and  a  general   pardon   granted   for  all  offences." 
Agents  were  chosen  to  repair  to  England  with  this  petition 
and  the  Assembly,  hoping  for  the  best  results,  adjourned.    Bui 

a  Synod  at  Dublm  to  counteract  the  General  Assembly.  This 
Synod  vehemently  protested  against  selling  truth  "  as  a  slave," 
and  estabhshmg  for  a  price  idolatry  In  its  stead."  They 
laid  it  down  as  a  dogma  of  their  faith  that  "  to  grant  Papisti 
a  oleration  or  to  consent  that  they  may  freely  exercise  their 
rehg  on  and  profess  their  faith  and  doctrines,  was  a  grievous 
sin ;"  Wherefore  they  prayed  God  '« to  make  those  in  authori" 
eea  ous,  resolute  and  courageous  against  all  Popery,  super- 

t eslV        T'''"    '"'^  '^^^^^^"^"^  ^'  the  extreme  Pro. 

Undertakers"    all    deeply  imbued  with    Puritan  notions 
rm  urally  found  among  their  English  brethren  advocates  and 
defenders.     The  King  who  had  lately,  for  the  third  time 
renewed  with  France  the  articles  of  his  marriage  treaty,  was 
placed  m  a  most  difficult  position.    He  desired  to  save  his  own 
honor  he  sorely  needed  the  money  of  the  Catholics,  but  he 

Puritans.  In  h.s  distress  he  had  recourse  to  a  councillor,  who 
smce  the  assassmation  of  Buckingham,  his  first  favorite 
div.ded  wi  h  Laud  the  royal  confidence.    This  was  Thorn  s', 

Barl  of  Strafford,  a  statesman  born  to  be  the  wonder  and 
the  bane  of  three  kingdoms.    Strafford  (for  such  for  clear- 

uZ  """  """f  ''"  ^'™^  ^"'^'y  *^^'««d  th«  K^ng  ^  grant 
the  graces^'  as  his  own  personal  act,  to  pocket  the  proposed 


183 


POPULAR  HISTORY    OF  IRELAND. 


■ubsidy,  but  to  contrite  that  the  proraisod  concesBioni  h» 
was   to  make  should  never  go  into  efTect.    This  infamous 
deception  was  effected  in  this  wise:  tlie  King  signed,  with 
his   own  hand,  a  schedule  of  flfty-one  "graces,"  and  re- 
ceived from  the  Irish  agents  in  London  bonds  for  £120,000, 
(equal  to  ten  times  the  amount  at  present),  to  be  paid  in  three 
annual  instalments  of  £40,000.    He  also  agreed  that  Parlia- 
ment should  be  immediately  called  in  Ireland,  to  confirm  these 
concessions,  while  at  the  same  time  he  secretly  instructed  Lord 
Falkland  to  see  that  the  wrHs  of  election  were  informally  pre- 
pared, so  that  no  Parliament  could  be  held.    This  was  accord- 
ingly done;  the  agents  of  the  General  Assembly  paid  thoir 
first  instalment;  the  subscribers  held  the  King's  autograph; 
the  writs  were  issued,  but  on  being  returned  were  found  to  bd 
technically  incorrect,  and  so  the  legal  confirmation  of  the 
graces  was  indefinitely  postponed,  under  one  pretext  or  an- 
other.   As  evidence  of  the  national  demands  at  this  period, 
we  should  add,  that  beside  the  redress  of  minor  grievances, 
the  articles  signed  by  the  King  provided  that  the  recusants 
should  be  allowed  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  law  ;  to  sue  the 
livery  of  their  lands  out  of  the  Court  of  Wards,  on  taking  an 
oath  of  civil  allegiance  in  lieu  of  the  oath  of  supremacy-; 
that  the  claims  of  the  Crown  to  the  forfeiture  of  estates,  under 
the  plea  of  defects  of  title,  should  not  be  held  to  extend  be- 
yond sixty  years  anterior  to  1628 ;  that  the  "  Undertakers" 
should  have  time  allowed  them  to  fulfil  the  conditions  of  their 
leases ;  that  the  proprietors  of  Connaught  should  be  allowed 
to  make  a  new  enrollment  of  their  estates,  and  that  a  Parlia- 
ment should  be  held.    A  royal  proclamation  announced  these 
concessions,  as  existing  in  the  royal  intention,  but,  as  we  have 
Jready  related,  such  promises  proved  to  be  worth  no  more 
than  the  paper  on  which  they  were  written. 

In  1629  Lord  Falkland,  to  disarm  the  Puritan  outcry  against 
him,  had  leave  to  withdraw,  and  for  four  years— an  unusually 
long  interregnnm— the  government  was  left  in  the  hands  of 
Robert  Boyle,  now  Earl  of  Cork,  and  Adam  Loftus,  Viscount 
Ely,  one  of  the  well  dower'd  offspring  of  Queen  Elizabeth's 
Arcbbi.'hop  of  IXublin.    Ely  held  the  office  of  Lord  Chan- 


romun  history  of  ireukd.  4^ 

bisolry  unequalled  in  "nv  fl„,  "™,'^"=''»'""'  «  ^I-'ity  «nd 
on   Saint  slphel'D^    029  '.IT  ,'""""■     '"  •""■""• 

ChapeUul,el,eadof  aaieoflr*'  .  "''  "'=  '^'""'«"« 
gation,  desecrated  the  alS^r  ^  ,dt  T'."?"""'  '""  '°"«'- 
The  per,ecu«„n  ™,  thet  ,!l^  "^  ""  """"'"'"K  ''i""- 

tbe.„o„ti,ep„wrwa.  «?'""'  ""  """  "P<«"«<' wherever 
Indignation.    A  CalUT.!    *  'T^""  tO'lefy  the  popular 

oapua,  waa  „onfla^:;it:„r:eIo^:'[orHri;"  "• 
a  tra  n  nff  schnni      p.-ft  ,.  .      "''^  '"  ^^'nity  ColJege  aa 

to  the  pit:  of  r:^;:  tZitrT'  """"^  '•"°"' "■« 

remotenesa  of  their  ,U„atl"'t,\an"T°°r''  ''""'  "" 
Council,  conflacated  to  .he  cZTl^I ^^  ."'^"  "  "■"  ^"«"''' 
to  emigrate  in  order  ^  eomplet^  fh^fr;"™  ™'"P°"""' 
reprimand  from  the  Km„  .  u  ""'''°'  """""'i-    A 

^"a«cer,„,oaerp'r:I'7orred;r8.r:;;:r^  "'  ""■ 
«nent  in  1633.  Strafford's  appoint- 

oou'r'rTrKi'  t?:*  ""•  "^~'-""-  «'  ■>..  who,, 
.anta,  deCaring^ratX'  .r  a^rthr  'Z'"-'"'  "<=- 
•f  the  Lords  Justice,,  abouM  be  out ^.r',,  "° '"^«°"'°" 
Jnstices  proved  unwil L°    .  '^      """"^  '"  '<"■<=«•    The 

book,  and^t  w^  aeI^S.,v  'tK  S"  '""^  ""  "■«  C™--' 
but  the  throat  Tad  the  drr^/'*";'"  «"  S'^ford's  arrival, 
contribution" of  £20 Ion  „r!K  "'  *""'"«  ""'olnntar; 
ped  partly  with  this  i^eTstrlff.'"™'"  '""«""^'  ^O-if^ 
1C33,  and  entered  aronTe  olTbl  'T°'  '"  """""  '"  "'"'^ 

designated  by  the  oneemphatwd!!;':';'"'"''  ■"j''  '•'■"»^" 
up  his  abode  in  the  r..,i  MoBonon."    He  took 

force  hitherto^'r^nr  I'lrcrt  "'h  '  """^  *'""^'  " 
.  select  „„„.ber  of  the  Privv  Co^,„"  '  ""f™"'""^''  "'"Z 
thorn  waiting  for  hon™  condZ  7?  '  '""'  '"'"S  kept 
.peech  f„,,  !r  arrogLTjand  rnTce  He  d^'rV."""  '"  * 
Hon  of  maintaining  and  auoInZ'th  '"'  '"'""• 

IS  ana  augmenting  the  army;  advised  tliea 


I    J 


ll 


484 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


to  amend  their  grants  forthwith;  told  them  frankly  he  had 
called  them  to  Council,  more  out  of  courtesy  than  necessity, 
and  ended  by  requiring  from  them  a  year's  subsidy  in  advance. 
As  this  last  request  was  accompanied  by  a  positive  promise  to 
obtain  the  King's  consent  to  the  assembling  of  Parliament,  il 
was  at  once  granted  ;  and  soon  after  writs  were  issued  for  the 
meeting  of  both  Houses  in  July  following. 

When  this  long  prayed-for  Parliament  at  last  met,  the  Lord 
Deputy  took  good  care  that  it  should  be  little  else  than  a  tri- 
bunal to  register  his  edicts.    A  great  many  officers  of  the 
army  had  been  chosen  as  Burgesses,  while  the  Sheriffs  of 
counties  were  employed  to  secure  the  election  of  members 
favorable  to  the  demands  of  the  Crown.    In  the  Parliament 
of  1613  the  recusants  were,  admitting  all  the  returns  to  be 
correct,  nearly  one-half ;  but  in  that  of  1634  they  could  not 
have  exceeded  one-third.    The  Lord  Deputy  nominated  their 
speaker,  whom  they  did  not  dare  to  reject,  and  treated  them 
invariably  with  the  supreme  contempt  which  no  one  knows  so 
well  how  to  exhibit  towards  a  popular  assembly  as  an  apostate 
liberal.    "  Surely,"  he  said  in  his  speech  from  the  throne,  "  so 
great  a  meanness  cannot  enter  your  hearts,  as  once  to  suspect 
his  Majesty's  gracious  regards  of  you,  and  performance  with 
you,  once  you  affix  yourselves  upon  his  grace."    His  object 
in  this  appeal  was  the  sordid  and  commonplace  one— to  obtain 
more  money  without  rendering  value  for  it.    He  accordingly 
carried  through  four  whole  subsidies  of  £60,000  sterling  each 
in  the  session  of  1«34;  and  two  additional  subsidies  of  the 
same  amount  at  the  opening  of  the  next  session.    The  Par- 
liament having  thus  answered  his  purpose,  was  summarily 
dissolved  in  April,  1635,  and  for  four  years  more  no  other  was 
called     During  both  sessions  he  had  contrived,  accordmg  to 
his  agreement  with  the  King,  to  postpone  indefinitely  the  act 
which  was    to  have  confirmed  "the  graces,"  guaranteed  m 
1628     He  even  contrived  to  get  a  report  of  a  Committee  of 
the  House  of  Commons, 'and  the  opinions  of  some  of  th« 
Judges,  against  legislating  on  the  subject  at  all,  which  report 
gavr  King  Charles  "  a  great  deal  of  contentment." 
With  sufficient  funds  in  hand  for  the  ordinary  expenses  of  ^ 


POFULAR  HISTORY   OP   IRELAND.  435 

the  government,  Strafford  anni:^/i  ».• 

.elf-elected  task  of  iTkTn,  h^         ■       ""  ''""^  *»  «" 

"y  Kins  in  chriirr.'''trwr'';  "r"'"'""''  •■ 

The  plantation  of  Connau^htLi  .?  '"^'""  *«  "•"""•el- 
and abandoned  amZ  thf  It  ^^''', ''^  *' '"»  '^'"^'^  ^^». 
«  mam  engine  of  o'finfngrre  ^n.rT^  ™  '""""■'  " 
that  Province  had  in  the  1^^     .1^"    ^^' f">P'"t^ty  of 

paid*3,CKK,intot  ;L  cord  Offlcr     /r  "'/"^  '*" '"^• 
tion  of  their  deeds   bntlh.  .Tf-  !'"' '^  ""■  *«S'«ra- 

o-k  e„p,o,ed,  th'e'  titll  .'00^;:  ^T^  7"  "'  «" 
countie,  was  now  called  in  q»es«»  The ""  C  ^1  • "°"'™ 
Inquire  into  Defective  Titles"  w«r.  .. ,  ''»"'™™'<»>»"  to 
Province,  with  Sir  ^fn^m  fZl^' iT^^S? 'T '""'^ 
King's  title  to  the  whole  of  M.JTZ  '"'°*'  ""*  *« 

fonnd  by  packed  brbod  °'  "•^"' «''8»  »■"!  Koscommon,  was 

Of  oaiw^^.  hX:r;d"rrd":t^iC'r 'd'''r^""''j-^ 

moned  to  the  Court  of  r<.«,^r^    a  similar  verdict,  were  sum- 

Of  *4,000  each  to  tho  c^own  !  ^^  "i  '""°"="'  '"  ^'^  «  «"• 
them  a  fine  of  «  oS)  tJC  ""'"'^"^  "■«'  '"PanneM 
proprietor,  were 'sWppJd  ^Z?  "'"I""'  ''' "■" '«"»' 
prison,  and  the  wok  of  sool'r     «■"""•"■»  '"eriff  died  in 

Earl  of  O^ondwas  gWriluuTf"*"'-  ^"^  ^°""« 
estates;  the  Earl  of  KiM»r.      °'"'"'™''  '»"■»  Portion  of  his 

f«.ing;si,n„.:l;'pti\tr.  treEaTofp'  ^  '"^'"'  '""- 
to  pay  a  heavy  fine  Zr.'    ■  !  °°'"''  ™  oompeUed 

^a^t^d  to  th7ch:;:K  r  h  ^crof'tckr  "'^'"-"^ 

for  *16,000,  and  the  LoMon  CompInUs  IThet  n"  °°"'"'"''"' 
paid  no  less  than*7000O-  ,,  f";  ° ''■'"*°'rI>orry«tates, 

those  frugal  Citizen,  nrfor';Sth:r''r'°"  '"'  ""'* 
By  these  means  and  oth.™  i        ■  ,  "^''"^"'''sO^Puty. 

the  linen  trad,  Le "tis^  tTo  1  "f  °''  ""'"  "'  •"""■"«»  «« 

to  .80,000  a  .-:r  r  :n=\rirdy",:;f^r 

.ervice  an  army  of  10.000  foot  and  1,000  horse'  """^  ' 

inese  arbitrary  measures  were  enfcir«W  in  « 
the  wishes  of  Charles.    In  .  vlitt  tn^  and T 1686  f 
Kmg  assured  Strafford  personallv  of  l,iV     T  ,  '  "" 


('■ 


Am 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP  IRELAND. 


Lord  Lieutenant.  Three  years  later,  on  the  first  rumor  of  a 
Scottish  invasion  of  England,  StraflFord  was  enabled  to  remit 
his  master  £30,000  from  the  Irish  Treasury,  and  to  tender  the 
services  of  the  Anglo-Irish  army,  as  he  thought  they  could  be 
safely  dispensed  with  by  tho  country  in  which  they  had  been 
thus  far  recruited  and  maintained. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LORD  STEAPPORD'S  IMPEACHMENT  AND  EXECUTIOIT— PARLIA- 
MENT OP  X639-'41— THE  INSURRECTION  OP  1641— THE  IRISH 
ABROAD. 

The  tragic  end  of  the  despot,  whose  administration  we  have 
sketched,  was  now  rapidly  approaching.    When  he  deserted 
the  popular  ranks  in  the  English  House  of  Commons  for  a 
Peerag«^  and  the  government  of  Ireland,  the  fearless  Pym  pro- 
phetically  remarked,  "  though  you  have  left  us,  I  will  not 
leave  vou  while  your  head  \r  on  your  shoulders."  Yet,  although 
conscious  of  having  left  able  and  vigilant  enemies  behind  him 
in  England,  Straflford  proceeded  in  his  Irish  administration 
as  if  he  scorned  to  conciliate  the  feelings  or  interests  of  any 
order  of  men.    By  the  highest  nobility,  as  well  as  the  hum- 
blest of  the  mechanic  class,  his  will  was  to  be  received  as  law ; 
80  that  neither  in  Church,  nor  in  State,  might  any  man  express 
even  the  most  guarded  doubt  as  to  its  infallibility.     Lord 
Mountnorris,  for  example,  having  dropped  a  casual,  and  alto- 
gether innocent  remark  at  the  Chancellor's  table  on  the  private 
habits  of  the  Deputy,  was  brought  to  trial  by  court  martial 
on  a  charge  of  mutiny,  and  sentenced  to  military  execution. 
Though  he  was  not  actually  put  to  death,  he  underwent  a  long 
and  rFgorous  imprisonment,  and  at  length  was  liberated  without 
apology  or  satisfaction.    If  they  were  not  so  fully  authenti- 
oate/th**  particulars  of  this  outrageous  case  would  hardly  be 
crediblA. 


«.<*<««»*«»«».,,«, 


*  MPtJLAR  HISTORY  OP  IRELAW.  48T 

the  seven  ye.rs  of  Strafford's  iron  rnU  X!,'!?    Z.,        ™^ 
the  eo.,eo«on  „,»„p  „one..  CrZZl ^^C^'^J^::^^ 

Strafford  w.'recanedTn^^^relftoUZ"''  '"™'™'  '"" 
royal  force,  in  theNorthTf  E,Jrnd  AZarT-f  "''''' 
campaign,  the.Kin,  e„terU,„fd  the  t^Zr^T:ct' 
n.n.e„  and  the  „.„„rab,e  Long  Parli.je    UlX  "n 

*d  for  M  T  °'  "'  ""'  """^  ""^  «"  topeactoe„r„rs.  J 
lo.d  for  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors     Tho  .^-  *     !•  , 

asainst  hi™  related  to  his  adminS^n  „,  Ir  s^  1-  !  !? 
were  sustained  by  delegates  from  the  Irish  House  of^Z!"" 
sent  over  for  a,at  purpose:  the  whole  of  the  t  afa^Tve  To 
be  elosely  examined  by  every  one  interested   n1he"st^ln 
tional  history  of  England  and  Ireland.  "" 

A  third  ParliameM,  known  as  the  14tl,  iK.i,  .  j  ,..i 
Charles  I.,  n>et  at  Dublin  on  the  2oTh  m!  cL  IMO 
rogued  till  June,  and  adjourned  tJo^^rer'  YmZZ 
point  so  successfully  resisted  in  161<1  it.  T.  ^^'e'ding  the 
the  castle,  surroun'ded  by'tr,  Z^T^r^^'l:' 
eioeption,  the  acts  passed  in  Its  flr./!..?  ° 

in-Portauce,  relating  L,y  t„  LtllorenTorgJeTnir; 

■:::.^:;:r:r:ubs^LTrr""^^^^^^^^^ 

ordaining  "that  thJ,  Po  ,.    ""^'"^'^^'^  '^^  King,  was  an  Act 

MaJe.y.sVnltsrreT^ir  "r/nT  X"'' 
b«n  parsed  in  1635.  but  was  wholMisret  "eors:  ^  !f 

rever;''::d::„er;y":t:  t.!zTz:r:  r: 

euo,i„„  g^,.^„^^  ,„  their  tot  sessL  and  Z^in^*^ 

after  h„  fell.    But  this  censure  i.  uot  well  toZ^     fU 


•^;f- 


If  « 


!»,i  ! 


.; 


188 


FOPULAR  HISTORY   OP  IRELAND. 


II 


eulogium  was  introduced  by  the  Castle  party  in  the  Lords,  af 
part  of  the  preamble  to  the  Supply  Bill,  which,  on  being 
returned  to  the  Commonn,  could  only  be  rejected  in  toio,  not 
amended  — a  proceeding   in   the  last  degree  revolutionary 
But  those  who  dissented  from  that  ingenious  device,  at  the  next 
session  of  the  House,  took  care  to  have  their  protest  entered  on 
the  journals  and  a  copy  of  it  despatched  to  the  King.    This 
second  proceeding  took  place  in  February,  1640,  and  as  the 
Lord  Lieutenant  was  not  arraigned  till  the  month  of  November 
Ibriowing,  the  usual  denunciations  of  the  Irish  members  are 
altogether  undeserved.    At  no  period  of  his  fortune  was  the 
Earl  more  formidable  as  an  enemy  than  at  the  very  moment 
the  Protest  against  "  his  manner  of  government"  was  ordered 
"  to  be  entered  among  the  Ordinances"  of  the  Commons  of 
Ireland.    Nor  did  this  Parliament  confine  itself  to  mere  pro- 
testations against  the  abuses  of  executive  power.    At  the  very 
opening  of  the  second  session,  on  the  20th  of  January,  they 
appointed  a  committee  to  wait  on  the  King  in  England,  with 
instructions  to  solicit  a  bill  in  explanation  of  Poyning's  law, 
another  enabling  them  to  originate  bills  in  Committee  of  their 
own  House,  a  right  taken  away  by  that  law,  and  to  ask  the 
King's  consent  to  the  regulation  of  the  courts  of  law,  the  col- 
lecting of  the  revenue,  and  the  quartering  of  soldiers,  by 
statute  instead  of  by  Orders  in  Council.    On  the  16th  of 
February  the  House  submitted  a  set  of  queries  to  the  Judges, 
the  nature  of  which  may  be  inferred  from  the  first  question, 
viz.  :    "  Whether  the  subjects  of  this  Kingdom  be  a  free 
people,  and  to  be  governed  only  by  the  common  law  of 
England,  and  statutes  passed  in  this  Kingdom  1"    When  the 
answers  r.iceived  were  deemed  Insufficient,  the  House  itself, 
turning  the  queries  into  the  form  of  resolutions,  proceeded  to 
vote  on  them,  one  by  one,  affirming  in  every  point  the  rights, 
the  liberties,  and  the  privileges  of  their  constituents. 

The  impeachment  and  attainder  of  Straffbrd  occupied  the 
great  paU  of  March  and  April,  1641,  and  throughout  those 
months  the  delegates  from  Ireland  assisted  at  the  pleadings  in 
•Westminster  Hall  and  the  debates  in  the  English  Parliament. 
The  Houses  at  Dublin  were  themselves  occupied  in  a  simila* 


■iMfcirtk,  "*»..„^il&at,*,., 


I    I 


FOPULAK   HISTORY   OF   IREI^ND.  489 

manner.  Towards  the  end  of  February  articles  of  Impeach, 
toent  were  drawn  up  against  the  Lord  Chancellor,  Bolton  D, 
Bramhall  Bshop  of  Derry.  Chief-TuHtice  Lowther.  and  Si 
aoorge  Radcnfte,  for  conspiring  with  Strafford  to  subvert  the 
const.tut:on  and  laws,  and  to  introduce  an  arbitrary  and  tyrln! 
meal  government.    In  March,  the  King's  letter  for  the  con- 

rTof^        'T"'"""'  ''''^  ^''''''  the  Commons,  and  on 
the  8d  of  Apnl,  h,s  further  letter,  declaring  that  all  his  ma- 

benefit  of  the  sa.d  graces  [of  1628]  according  to  the  true  in- 
tent thereof."  By  the  end  of  May  the  Judges,  not  under  im- 
peachment,  sent  in  their  answerc  to  the  Queries  of  the  Com- 
mons, wh,ch  answers  were  voted  insufficient,  and  Mr.  Patrick 
Darcy.  Member  for  Navan.  was  appointed  to  serve  as  ProculaT 
tor  at  a  Conference  with  the  Lords,  held  on  the  9th  of  June, 
m  the  dmmg-room  of  the  Castle,"  in  order  to  set  forth  the 
insufficiency  of  such  replies.    The  learned  and  elaborate  ar- 

trT  oI''7^  ""*'  ""'^^''^  ^  ^"  P^'^t«d  ^y  th«  House ;  and 
on    he  26th  day  of  July,  previous  to  their  prorogation,  they 
resolved  unanimously,  that  the  subjecte  of  Ireland  "were  a 
free  people,  to  be  governed  only  by  the  common  law  of  Ena. 
lanO^and  statutes  made  and  established  in  the  kingdom  oV 
Ireland,  and  according  to  the  lawful  custom  used  in  the  same  •• 
This  was  the  last  act  of  this  memorable  session :  the  great 
northern  insurrection  in  October  having,  of  course,  prevented 
subsequent  sessions  from  being  held.    Constitutional  agitators 
m  modern  times  have  been  apt  to  select  their  examples  of  a 
wise  and  patriotic  parliamentary  conduct  from  the  opposition 
to  the  Act  of  Union  and  the  famous  struggles  of  the  last  cen- 
tury ;  but  whoever  has  looked  into  such  records  as  remain  to 
tis  of  the  15th  and  16th  of  Charles  First,  and  the  debates  on 
the  impeachment  of  Lord  Chancellor  Bolton,  will,  in  my 
opinion,  be  prepared  to  admit,  that  at  no  period  whatever  was 
constitutional  law  more  ably  expounded  in  Ireland  than  in 
the  sessions  of  1640  and  164-1 ;  and  that  not  only  the  principle, 
of  Swift  and  of  Molyneux  had  a  triumph  in  1782,  but  the 
older  doctrines  also  of  Sir  Ralph  Kelly,  Audley  Mervin,  and 
Patrick  Darcy.  ' 


I , 


m 


POPULAR  HISTORY  OF   IRELAND. 


Strafford's  Deputy,  Sir  Christopher  Wandesford,  having 
died  before  the  close  of  1640,  the  King  appointed  Robert, 
Lord  Dillon,  a  liberal  Protestant,  and  Sir  William  Parsons, 
Lords  Justices.  But  the  pressureof  Puritan  influence  in  Eng- 
land compelled  him  in  a  short  time  to  remove  Dillon  and  sub- 
Btitule  Sir  John  Borlace.  Master  of  the  Ordnance-a  mere 
soldier-in  point  of  f  ^  a  a  fitting  colleague  for  Par- 

sons.    The  prorogation  .rhamentsoon  gave  these  adm.- 

nistrators  opportunities  to  exhibit  tn'3  spirit  in  virhich  they 
proposed  to  carry  on  the  government.     When  at  a  public 
entertainment  in  the  capital  Parsons  openly  declared  that  m 
twelve  months  more  no  Catholic  should  be  seen  in  Ireland,  it 
was  naturally  inferred  that  the  Lord  Justice  spoke  not  merely 
for  himself  but  for  the  growing  party  of  the  English  Puritans 
and  Scottish  Covenanters.    The  latter  had  repeatedly  avowed 
that  they  never  would  lay  down  their  arms  until  they  had 
wrought  the  extirpation  of  Popery,  and  Mr.  Pym,  the  Puritan 
leader  in  England,  had  openly  declared  that  his  party  in- 
tended not  to  leave  a  priest  in  Ireland.    The  infatuation  of 
the  unfortunate  Charles  in  entrusting  at  such  a  moment  the 
supreme  power,  civil  and  military,  to  two  of  the  devoted  par- 
tizans  of  his  deadliest  enemies,  could  not  fail  to  arou^  the 
fears  of  all  who  felt  themselves  obnoxious  to  the  fanatical 
party,  either  by  race  or  by  religion. 

The  aspirations  of  the  chief  men  among  the  old  Irish  for 
entire  freedom  of  worship,  thei   hopes  of  recovering  at  least  a 
portion  of  their  estates,  the  example  of  the  Scots,  who  had 
successfully  upheld  both  their  Church  and  nation  against  all 
attempts  at  English  supremacy,  the  dangers  that  pressed,  and 
the  fears  that  overhung  them,  drove  many  of  the  very  first 
abilities  and  noblest  characters  into  the  conspiracy  which  ex- 
ploded  with  such  terrific  energy  on  the  23d  of  October,  1641. 
The  project,  though  matured  on  Irish  soil,  was  first  conceived 
among  the  exiled  Catholics,  who  wereto  be  found  at  that  day 
in  all  the  schools  and  can,ps  of  Spain,  Italy,  France  and  the 
Netherlands.    Philip  III.  had  an  Irish  legion,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Henry  O'Neil,  son  of  Tyrone,  which,  after  his  death 
was  transferred  to  his  brother  John.    In  this  legion,  Owen  Roe 


tonus   HISTORY   or   IBELAKD.  491 

O'Neil,  „»phew  of  Tyrone,  learned  the  art  of  war  and  ro,.  t» 
tlie  rank  of  LioulenantColonel.    The  numberTf  TrTl 
abroad  had  steadUy  increased  Zr'lmXLlltZZf 
en  ,,l„,ent  w^  granted  by  the  King  J.„e,.    An  EngHsh  eU 

chl,?!  ah!n!'  ""'  '"'7  "«"  i"  ""«  »"ice  of  the  Arohdn- 
Chess  Isabella,  ,n  the  Spanish  Netherlands  alone,  ■■  100  Irish 
officers  able  o  command  companies,  and  20  lit  to  be  colone    " 
The  names  of  many  othera  are  given  as  men  of  noted     urage 
fnd  A'/lXr''*  ':™»-"^"-*"  -PWns,  both  MiS 

Naplet  the  .:•;/'   ''"'""'■  ^"'™<^«.  M«an  and 
wapres.    The  emissary  adds  that  they  had  lone  been  nrori,! 

.n.  arm,  for  an  at^mpt  upon  Ireland'  "and  hfd  tlZ:l 

ouofTTT"^  ?  '"  ''"'""P  ""  '"»»  ?"■•?<»«.  "ought 
11 1  tf  t°"  "-^  '*"■'"  "■'"'"''  P'-J'-"    After  the  defti 
F  ane;  ;:,l'"'=''r'  1,».'«83.  •»  «"-Pt  was  made  by  the 

tolafrth;  «  ,"  T  "*""■'=''  -"  Marshal  Cha«ilon, 
to  separate  the  Belgian  Provinces  from  Spain.    In  the  san 

guinary  battle  at  Avion  victory  declared  f^r  the  French  and 

on  their  junction  with  Prince  Maurice  town  after  town  uiCn 

ZZZ  an?    I "'t  tSMT  "°'*™''  ^'"°""- 

mand  of  Colonel  Preston  of  th'  n  *'  "'"'"'  *«  ■=<"»■ 

,.  ,.       f  •'>"«'  rreston,  of  the  Oormanstown  family  ereatlv 

Jttly  1635  and  Belgium  was  saved  for  that  time  to  Philip  ir 
At  the  capture  of  Breda,  in  1687,  the  Irish  were  again  hTnorl: 
biy  conspicuous,  and  yet  more  so  in  the  successful  defence  of 
Arras,  the  capital  of  Artois,  three  years  later  Not  yet 
.  rengthened  by  the  citadel  of  Vanban,  this  ancient  Bu  g'n 

d  ar  TihlT;-'"; "" ""'°''"' "«'  "^  "anufact';:; 

dear  to  the  Spaniards  as  one  of  the  conquests  of  Charles 
Jth,   was   a  vital    point  in    the   campaign  of  1640      Be 
-ged  by  the  French,  under  Marshal  Millerie,  it  held  out  fcr 

O  Neil  The  King  of  France  lying  at  Amiens,  within  conve- 
hient  distance  took  care  that  the  besiegers  wanted  for  nothtg. 
While  the  Pnnce-Cardinal,  Ferdinand,  the  successor  ofth,' 


492 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRKI.AND. 


Archduchess  in  the  governmant,  marched  to  its  relief  at  the 
head  of  his  main  force  with  the  Imperiahsts,    nnder  Laonoy, 
hikI  the  troops  of  the  Duke  of  Lorrain,  commanded  by  tliat 
Prince  in  person.    In  an  attack  on  the  French  lines  the  Allies 
were  beaten  otf  with  loss,  and  the  brare  commander  was  left 
again  unsuccored  in  the  face  of  his  powerful  assailant.     Sub* 
sequently  Don  Philip  de  Silva,  General  of  the  Horse  to  tiie 
Prince  Cardinal,  was  despatched  to  its  relief,  but  failed  to  eflfect 
anything ;   a  failure  for  which  he  was  court  martial'd,  but 
acquitted.    The  defenders,  after  exhausting  every  resource, 
finally  surrendered  the  place  on  honorable  terras,  and  marched 
out  covered  with   glory.    These  stirring  events,  chronicled 
in  prose  and  verse  at  home,  rekindled  the  martial  ardor  which 
had  '?lumbered  since  the  disastrous  day  of  Kinsale. 

In  the  ecclesiastics  who  shared  their  banishment,  the  military 
exiles  had  a  voluntary  diplomatic  corps  who  lost  no  opportunity 
of  advancing  the  common  cause.    At  Rome,  their  chief  agent 
was  Father  Luke  Wadding,  founder  of  Saint  Isidore's,  on© 
of  the  most  eminent  theologians  and  scholars  of  his  age. 
Through  the  friendship  of  Gregory  XV.  and  Urban  VIIL, 
many  Catholic  princes  became  deeply  interested  in  the  reli- 
gious wars  which  the  Irish  of  the  previous  ages  had  so  bravely 
waged,  and  which  their  descendants  were  now  so  anxious  to 
renew.      Cardinal  Richelieu-who  wielded  a  power  greater 
than  that  of  Kings-had  favorably  entertained  a  project  of  m. 
vasion  submitted  to  him  by  the  son  of  Hugh  O'Neil,  a  chief 
who,  while  living,  was  naturally  regarded  by  the  exiles  as  their 

future  leader.  /      v       ♦ 

To  prepare  the  country  for  such  an  invasion  (if  the  return 
of  men  to  their  own  country  can  be  called  by  that  name),  it 
was  necessary  to  find  an  agent  with  talents  for  organization, 
and  an  undoubted  title  to  credibility  and  confidence.  This 
agent  was  fortunately  found  in  the  person  of  Bdry  or  Roger 
O'Moore,  the  represenUtive  of  the  ancient  chiefs  of  Leix, 
who  had  grown  up  at  the  Spanish  Court  as  the  friend  and 
companion  of  the  O'Neils.  O'Moore  was  then  in  the  prime  of 
life,  of  handsome  person  and  most  seductiVe  manners ;  his 
knowledge  of  character  was  profound ;  his  zeal  for  the  Catho- 


^-m^  ,t  jUMlteaMi, 


roPULAR   HISTORY   OF    IRELAND.  498 

unaoubted.  The  precise  date  of  O'Moore's  arrival  in  Ireland 
s  not  g..en  in  any  of  the  cotemporary  account,,  but  he  see"  s 
to  have  been  resident  in  the  country  some  time  ;rev  ot^  toT^ 
appearance  in  public  life,  as  he  is  familiarly  spoVen  orby  h 
Enghsh  cotemporaries  as  "  Mr.  Roger  Moore  of  Ballyrjaeh  " 
SS  Ih'  ^""^'"-^^y  -»-n  of  1640  he  too  A^  jn 
Dubhn.  where  he  succeeded  in  enlisting  in  his  plans  Connor 

ogh  0  Ne.1.  al  persona  of  great  influence  in  Ulster,  r.urin.' 
the  e^umg  assizes  in  the  Northern  Province  he  visited  sevorM 
county   towns,  where  in  the  crowd  of  suitors  and  defendant 

w  th't^'  'TT  '""^"°^  ^P^^^^^  "^*-'  ™-t  and    onve  L 

the  imno'?    !    '''"'  ''  ''^''"  '''''     ^'^  *^^«  t^'^'-  ^e  received 
he  important  accession  of  Sir  Phelim  O'Neil  of  Kinnaird 

trator  of  C  ogher.  Sir  Pheiim  O'Neil,  the  most  considerable 
man  of  his  name  tolerated  in  Ulster,  was  looked  upon 
as  tJ,e  greatest  acquisition,  and  at  his  castle  of  KinnairS 
his    associates    from    the    neighboring    counties,    under    a 

Z\\^    ■^7'^^'''  '°"*"^'^   frequently  to  meet.      From 
Ulster,  the  mdefatigable  O'Moore  carried  the  threads  of  th^ 
conspiracy  into  Connaught  with  equal  success,  finding  both 
IZllTrTj-''^  clergy  many  adherent^:    In  Lelnst^ 
and  indi^     "'    tf ' ''  experienced  the  greatest  t^midit; 
and  indifference,  but  an  unforeseen  circumstance  threw  into 
his  hands  a  powerful  lever,  to  move  that  province.    This  wc« 
the  permission  granted  by  the  King  to  the  native  re«.iments 
embodied  by  Strafford  to  enter  into  the  Spanish  service    f 
they  BO  desired.    His  English  Pariiament  made  no  demur  to 
-he  arrangement,  which  would  rid  the  island  of  some  thousands 
of  discipbned  Catholics,  but  several  of  their  officers,  under 
the  inspiration  of  O'Moore,  kept  their  companies  together, 
delaying  their  departure  from  month  to  month.    Among  these 
were  Sir  James  DiUon,  Colonel  Plunhett,  Colonel  Byrne,  and 


.? 


n 


494 


POPULAR  HISTORY  OF  IRELAND. 


CaptRtn  Fox,  who,  with  O'Moore,  formed  the  first  directing 
body  of  the  Confecjerates  in  Leinster. 

Ill  May,  1641,  Captain  Neil  O'Neil  arrircd  from  the  Nether- 
lands with  an  urgent  request  from  John,  Earl  of  Tyrone,  to 
rU  his  clansmen  to  prepare  for  a  general  insurrection.  Ho 
also  brought  them  the  cheering  news  that  Cardinal  Richelieu- 
then  at  the  summit  of  his  greatness— had  promised  the  exiles 
arms,  money,  and  means  of  transport.  He  was  sent  back, 
almost  immediately,  with  the  reply  of  Sir  Phelim,  O'Moore 
and  their  friends,  that  they  would  be  prepared  to  take  the 
field  a  few  days  belore  or  after  the  festival  of  All  Hallows— 
the  Ist  of  November.  The  death  of  Earl  John,  shortly  after- 
wards, though  it  grieved  the  Confederates,  wrought  no  change 
in  their  plans.  In  his  cousin-germain.  the  distinguished  de- 
fender of  Arras,  they  reposed  equal  confidence,  and  their  confi- 
dence ftould  not  have  been  mora  worthily  bestowed. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THB  1N8URBECTI0K  OP  1641. 

The  plan  agreed  upon  by  the  Confederates  included  four 
main  features.  I.  A  rising  after  the  harvest  was  gather  d  in, 
and  a  campaign  luring  the  winter  months,  when  supplies  from 
England  wei-e  most  difficult  to  be  obtaine''  by  their  enemies. 
II.  A  simultaneous  attack  on  one  and  the  same  day  or  night 
on  all  the  fortresses  within  reach  of  their  friends.  III.  To 
surprise  the  Castle  of  Dublin  which  was  said  to  contain  arms 
for  )  ',000  men.  IV.  Aid  in  officers,  munitions,  and  money 
from  abroad.  All  the  details  of  this  project  were  carried  suc- 
cessfully into  effect,  except  the  seizure  of  Dublin  Castle— the 
most  difficult  as  it  would  have  been  the  most  decisive  blow  to 

strike 

Towards  the  end  of  August  a  meeting  of  those  who  could 
mo&t  conveniently  attend  was  held  in  Dublin.    There  wera 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  495 

of  only  a  few  pensioners  and  40  halbediers-Lm  ZT  ^ 
upon  the  city  to  intimidate  the  Puritan  nX  -  .V  ^''"'' 
»ure  of  Dnhlh. .  n-w  ""e  ruritan  party,  and  thus  maka 

was   conveyed  to  the  Lords   Tno*5«  *y'«"ge  01  thr  plot 

execution.  *^"'*''''  ^''^  ^^^  ^«^y  eve  of  its 

^  Owen  O'Oonnolly.  the  informant  on  this  occasion  was  one 
of  those  ruffling  squires  or  henchmen,  who  accZZZT 
«emen  of  fortune,  in  that  age,  to  ta.e'  p^r  he    ^uarrT 
and  carry  their  confidential  messaees     Thnf  1.        ^"*"*'''»' 
ordi„„,  domestic  servant,  w,  J^^  ]^:l  ^ LTct^.^^ 

Through  what  reckkssnes,,  „r  ig„„ra„co  of  h»  Irue  ch.  IZ' 
no  came  to  be  imited  by  Colonol  lr.,„i,  x,  ..  V  "'""^'"er, 
inirs  and  (h«„   ,     .V      "''"°°"  "^"S*  McMahon  to  his  lodg. 

1  tes  ih.?  ^T*'"/^  information,  as  tendered  to  the  Justices 


$ 
'if    I    , 


i:ii 


«9e 


MPTLAR   HISTORY   OF    IRELAND. 


McMahoii's  room  to  avoid  suspicion,  and  that  after  Jump  ng 
ovor  f.nct^s  and  paling.,  he  made  his  way  from  the  north  side 
or  the  city  to  Sir  William  ParnonB  at  the  CaaUe.    ParsouH  at 
fl.-M  discreditcMl  the  tale,  which  OConnolly  (whowaa  in  iquor) 
,olU  in  a  cnfuHod  and  rambling  manner,  but  he  finally  deeded 
to  consult  his  colleague,  Borlase.  by  whom  some  of  the  Coun- 
cil  were  summoned,  the  witness's  deposition    taken  down, 
orders  issued  to  double  the  guard,  and  officers  despatched, 
who  arrested  McMahon  at  his  lodgings.    When  McMahon  came 
to  be  examined  before  the  Council,  it  was  already  the  morning 
of  the  m ;  he  boldly  avowed  his  own  part  in  the  plot,  and 
declared  that  what  was  that  day  to  be  done  was  now  beyond 
the  power  of  man  to  prevent.    He  was  committed  close  pri- 
soner to  the  Castle  where  he  had  hoped  to  command,  and 
search  was  made  for  the  other  leaders  in  town.    Maguire  was 
captured  the  next  morning,  and  shared  McMahon's  captivity; 
bat  O'Moore,  Plunkett,  and  Byrne  succeeded  in  escapmg  out 
of  the  city.    O'Connolly  was  amply  rewarded  in  lands  and 
money;  and  we  hear  of  him  once  afterwards,  with  the  title  oi 
Colonel,  in  the  Parliamentary  army. 

As  McMahon  had  declared  to  the  Justices,  the  rising  wa« 
now  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  prevent.    In  Ulster,  by  stra- 
tagem, surprise,  or  force,  the  fortu  of  Charlemont  and  Mount^ 
ioy  and  the  town  of  Dungannon,  were  seized  on  the  night  oi 
the  22d  by  Sir  Phelim  O'Neil  or  his   lieutent^nts  ;   on  the 
next  day  Sir  Connor  Magennis  took  the  town  of  Newry.  the 
McMahons  possessed  themselves  of  Carrickmacross  and  Castle- 
blaney,  the  O'Hanlons  Tandragoe,  while  Philip  O'Reilly  and 
Roger  Maguire  raised  Cavan  and  Fermanagh.    A  proclamation 
of  the  northern  leaders  appeared  the  same  day.  dated  from  Dun- 
cannon,  setting  forth  their  "true  intent  and  meaning'  to  be, 
not  hostility  to  his  Majesty  the  King.  "  nor  to  any  of  his  sub- 
jects,  neither  English,  nor  Scotch ;  but  only  for  the  defence 
and  liberty  of  ourselves  and  the  Irish  natives  of  this  kingdom. 
A  more  elaborate  manifesto  appeared  shortly  afterwards  from 
the  pen  of  Rory  O'Moore,  in  which  the  oppressions  of  the 
Catholics    for    conscience'  sake  were    detailed,   the    King! 
Intended  "  graces"  acknowledged,  and  their  frustration  by  th« 


2f*.     ^"^-^mmmt^.v.mm.^-.m. 


ronuK  msTORT  or  ireund.  407 

"pit.  cr„"r"rr'  ''^""•""' '-  """-"arjohi 

«pncop.l  Church  w,lh  Roman  Cthollc,  and  anerted  In  th» 
«.ro„g.st  tern,,  .he  devoMon  „,  the  Ca.i,„„c,  "2  c' "^ 

"OTO.       We  are,"  he  wrote,  ■■  for  our  lives  and  liberties     W, 

desire  no  blood  to  be  shed,  but  If  you  „ean  to  sh  dtrWoo^ 

ka  sure  «e  shall  be  as  ready  as  you  for  that  purpose  "    S 

rs.t  Of  retaliation,  so  customary  in  all  n.^'^Tn^I^ 

fat  STf'a  wbT":  """""^  "*"*  "'"  '""""O'  circu- 

lated of  a  wholesale  massacre  committed  on  the  28d  were  noi 

^  yet  .nvented  nor  doe.  any  p„h„c  document  „fprl™t:  lei 

er,wr,tto„  .n  Ireland  In  the  last  week  of  October  „d„r^« 

the  flrst  days  of  November,  so  much  as  allude  to  thMe  taZ  o? 

reeXral'Jir"-'  '"  '— ^  -«'-  a.^ 

thfj^T  t"'!^  '■'""'  ""''■  '""■•'•e''  "y  McMahon's  declaration 

ieci  to  beTa":':*  T  °°°'"""*'«  '•«•"•    """'^  "« 
lUhed    arm,  f '"..'"  "'«''  ■=■""•"  ■»"««"  «ere  estab- 

te^CatX'^nd  tu  .r  '"  "■'''">'-'«"'»>«-.  and 
,  "  .  '  "'°''  »1  "rangeni  wore  ordered  to  unit  the 
cty  under  pa,n  of  death.  Sir  Francis  WiUoughby,  aover^o' 
o  Oalway,  Who  arrived  on  the  night  of  the  22d  w.^  entluZ 
«  h  the  command  of  »he  Castle,  Sir  Charles  Coot;  was  appoS 
Military  Governor  of  the  city,  and  the  Earl,  afterwards  Du^ 

1  TfieTry^r  ;trr"r  ™-«"''  - "-"- 

in  ,h.  „„    7     ^'  ""^  P'*^''*  »  very  conspicuous  part 

maybeweU  to  describe  them  both,  more  particutarly  to  L 

Sir  Charles  Coote,  on.  of  the  Jrst  Baronets  of  Irelani  Ilk, 

reign  of  James  I.    His  success  as  an  Undertaker  entitles  hii. 


1- 


498 


POPULAR  HISTORY  OF  lUELlim. 


to  rank  with  the  fortimate  adventurers  we  have  mentioned  j 
in  Roscommon,  Sligo,  Leitrim,  Queen's  and  other  counties, 
his  possessions  and  privileges  raised  him  to  the  rank  of  the 
richest  subjects  of  his  time.    In  1640  he  was  a  colonel  of  foot, 
with  the  estates  of  a  Prince  and  the  habits  of  a  Provost-Mar- 
Bhal.    His  reputation  for  ferocious  cruelty  has  survived  the 
remembrance  even  of  his  successful  plunder  of  other  people's 
property;   before  the  carjpaigns  of  Cromwell  there  was  no 
better  synonym  for  wanton  cruelty  than  the  name  of  Sir 
Charles  Coote. 

James    Butler,    Eari,    Marquis,    and    Duke    of    Ormond, 
deservedly  ranks  amongst  the  principal  statesmen  of  his  time. 
During  a  public  career  of  more  than  half  a  century  his  con- 
duct in  many  eminent  offices  of  trust  was  distinguished. by 
supreme  ability,  life-long  firmness  and  consistency.     As  a 
courtier  of  the  House  of  Stuart,  it  was  impossible  that  he 
should  have  served  and  satisfied  both  Charleses  without  par- 
ticipating in    many  indefensible    acts   of   government,  and 
originating  some  of  them.    Yet  judged,  not  from  the  Irish  but 
the  Imperial  point  of  view,  not  by  an  abstract  standard  but 
by  the  public  morality  of  his  age,  he  will  be  found  fairiy 
deserving  of  the  title  of  "  the  great  Duke"  bestowed  on  him 
during  his  lifetime.    When  summoned  by  the  Lords  Justices  to 
their  assistence  in  1641,  he  was  in  the  thirty-first  year  of  his 
age,  and  had  so  far  only  distinguished  himself  in  political  life 
as  the  friend  of  the  late  Lord  Strafford.    He  had,  howevei; 
the  good  fortune  to  restore  in  his  own  person  the  estates  ot 
his  family,  notwithstanding  that  they  were  granted  in  great 
part  to  others  by  King  James ;  his  attachment  to  the  cause 
of  King  Charles  was  very  naturally  augumented  by  the  fact 
that  the  partiality  of  that  Prince  and  his  ill-fated  favorite  had 
enabled  him  to  retrieve  both  the  hereditary  wealth  and  the 
high  political    influence  which    formeriy  belonged    to    the 
Ormond  Butlers.    Such  an  ally  was  indispensable  to  the  Lord 
Justices  in  the  first  panic  of  the  insurrection ;  but  it  was  evi- 
dent to  near  observers  that  Ormond,  a  loyalist  and  a  church- 
man, could  not  long  act  in  concert  with  such  devoted  Puritans 
as  Parsons,  Borlase,  and  Coote. 


rOPBLAS   HISTORY   OF    IREUNB.  49J 

l^t'S'^VT'^  "'  ""  "*""'  P>rt<e»-tl.«.  were  ., 

IXZ  •  """I  "^  "■"'  ^"'"'^  '■  I-  M™"'-  «"<i  Cot 
^aughUher.  wa,  b.t  a  single  troop  o,  royal  horse,  eaeh,  left 

Willo/r  1""°  "^P""'"  Presioe-ta,  St.  Lger  and 

W.lloughbjri  m  Kilkenny,  Dublin  and  other  of  u,e  Sdl^d 
counties,  the  gentry,  Protestant  and  Catholic,  were  reTied  » 
to  ra,se  volunteer  for  their  own  defenoe;  in  iublln  the  e  haS 

Tach  T„  !^11,'  r"  *■"''"  ™"""««'  ""■"Panies  of  100 
Ten  „!k     «  °  ""'  ''™»  ""^  ammunition  for  12  000 

f"     bto  cal    '   "  "  "i  """  ''''"""^'  "'<""'">  "J-  Strafford 
for  his  campaign  m  the  north  of  England.     Ormond    as 

Lieutenant-Oeneral,  had  thus  at  his  dispLi,  m  onert'lgh 
after  the  insurrection  broke  out,  from  8,000  to  10  000  weU 
a  p^ued  men  ■  his  advice  was  u,  take  the  field  at  once^alis" 
the  northern  leaders  before  the  other  Provinces  became 
equally  inflamed.  But  his  jadgmont  was  overruled  by^e 
Justices  who  would  only  consent,  while  awaiting  their  cue 
from  the  Long  Parliament,  to  throw  reinfo,  cement  int. 
nortf  II  7^m^1:  '«°™»*«"  ««'Post  towards  2 
"^  n  /•  f  .     **'  "'"°  '""  ""»''"'*  »  «•»  possession  of 

and  Crohau  in  Cavan,  Lisbum,  Belfast,  and  the  strons-hold  of 
Carr  ckfergus  garrisoned  by  the  regiments  of  Colli  ChU 

b«T.  d    ^°- *  *'°'"'*^-  """^  «""'-•  »■"'  ™  »t  M»- 

news  of  ,lr°"^'  to  conciliate  the  Scottish  Parliament  when 

despatch  of  1,600  men  to  Ulster,  and  authorized  Lords  Chi- 
Chester,  Ardes  and  Clandeboy,  to  raise  new  regiments  from 
among  their  own  tenants.  The  force  thus  emb'dM--wS 
may  be  called  from  its  prevailing  element  the  Scmsh  army- 
caniiot  have  numbered  less  than  6,000  foot,  and  the  proper- 
tionate  number  Of  hoise.    III.  The  Irish  In  the  Held  by  th, 

f„    I,       T.  "'  '^'^  '"  '•<"■»"'  ■"■'»''«™  "  80,000  men 

m  the  northern  counties  alone;  but  the  whole  number  sup. 

S.M  r/  J  '.""  and  ammunition  could  not  have  reached  on! 
third  of  that  nominal  total.    Before  the  surprise  of  Charlemont 


if  i 


ti 


I 


500 


POPULAR  HISTORY  OP  IRELAND. 


and  Mountjoy  forts,  Sir  Phelim  O'Neil  had  but  a  barrel  or  two 
of  gunpowder ;  the  stores  of  those  forts,  with  70  barrels  takea 
at  Newry  by  Magennis,  and  all  the  arms  captured  in  the 
simultaneous  attack,  which  at  the  outside  could  not  well 
exceed  4,000  or  6,000  stand— constituted  their  entire  equip- 
ment.   One  of  Ormond's  chief  reasons  for  an  immediate  cam- 
paign in  the  North  was  to  prevent  them  having  time  to  get 
"pikes  made"— which  shows  their  deficiency  even  in  that 
weapon.    Besides  this  defect  there  was  one,  if  possible,  still 
more  serious.    Si'-  Phelim  was  a  civilian,  bred  to  the  profes- 
sion of  the  law ;  Rory  O'Moore,  also,  had  never  seen  service ; 
and  although  Colonel  Owen  O'Neil  and  others  had  promised  to 
join  them  "  at  fourteen  days'  notice,"  a  variety  of  accidents 
])revented  the  arrival  of  any  officer  of  distinction  during  the 
brifrf  remainder  of  that  year.    Sir  Phelim,  however,  boldly 
asstdmed  the  title  of  "  Lord  General  of  the  Catholic  Army  in 
Ulster,"  and  the  still  more  popular  title  with  the  Gaelic  speak- 
ing population  of  "  The  O'Noil." 

The  projected  winter  campaign,  after  the  first  week's  sr.i- 
cesses,  did  not  turn  out  favorably  for  the  northern  Insurgent. 
The  beginning  of  November  was  marked  by  the  barbarous 
slaughter  committed  by  the  Scottish  garrison  of  Carrickfergus 
in  the  Island  Magee.    Three  thousand  persons  are  said  to  have 
been  driven  into  the  fathomless  north  sea,  oyer  the  clifi^  of  that 
island,  or  to  have  perished  by  the  sword.    The  ordinary  inha- 
bitants could  not  have  exceeded  one  tenth  as  many,  but  tlio 
presence  of  so  large  a  number  may  be  accounted  for  by  the 
supposition  that  they  had  fled  from  the  mainland  across  th« 
peninsula,  which  is  left  dry  at  low  water,  and  were  pursued  to 
their  last  refuge  by  the  infuriated  Covenanters.    Prom  this 
date  forward  until  the  accession  of  Owen  Roe  O'Neil  to  the 
command,  the  northern  war  assumed  a  ferocity  of  character 
foreign  to  the  nature  of  O'Moore,  O'Reilly  and  Magennis. 
That  Sir  Phelim  permitted,  if  he  did  not  sometimes  in  hia 
gusts  of  stormy  passion  instigate,  those  acts  of  cruelty,  which 
have  stained  his  otherwise  honorable  conduct,  is  too  true ;  but 
he  stood  alone  among  his  confederates  in  that  crime,  and  that 
crime  stands  alone  in  his  character.    Brave  to  rashness  and 


'-<^M*iteii 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OF   IRELAND.  601 

disinterested  to  excess  few  r-k-i     i.-  ^ 

Who  preferred  to  act  only  with  a.r.l,„  "^  '""''=■"• 

eou„ci„„r..  The  Catholic  lL?"  the "1':?",  "J  ""'' 
.™  granted  for  their  retainer,  ^t  o^  h!  '  ubt  "  *"'  '"■' 
«ow  ,n„„oned  to  aurrender  them  by  a  1™  1  '"°"«'.«" 
«ottobe  forgiven.  Lord,  Dill„°,*a  W^.K  ''J  ""  ■°'"" 
«-«  King,  were  seized  at  '^.re  byte  E^  i^h  ^ JZt  •" 
papers  taken  from  thAm  ot,^  *v.         ,        ^"^^  I'lintana,  their 

Whose  cUnam  rhfd~e  X-™"''''T°'-  "'''"»"• 
holds  in  his  ancient  ™,Z        "»»•■>»«  »nd  other  strong. 

propag.ndaarrthe~i«™^?l't'"^ 
marched  to  besiege  DrogSedT  Mthe  /  ^  "JT'"  ^"^  ''''"'-» 
l..nds.    On  the  way  s!„th™d  he   „L  '  '""■""""•"' 

attack  npon  lisburn  wh.lT  ■  !  .  '  "''  ™"'<:«™8ful 
Novembe^  he  t^l";!!"^  'o?  i"  , SL  ""  f  '''"  °^ 
gste  the  aged  Tyrone  had  ZJ^l "  . '''°'"  ^^^'y- 1"""  "hose 
before.  FromS?onrJf.T^  ;"'""' "'*"'"'-«™  J''*'' 

ne,  PIunheHriL,  ti.^.7fCe„Tr"''Jr^''^  '""°- 
enced  officer  u  yet  envied  i^-'v""^  ""  "''<'  ^^P"'" 
lowa  „  Drogh^wr^i'?.  ".'*'■  ^ '"-""g'^  "'"'i 
^ron.  the  seafcantotT  Z^^:^^:!^':-^ 
by  any  amount  of  physical  coumge.  Whenever^,  p.^L" , 
were  fairly  match«J  in  the  open  field   thevl  " 

auccessful,  a,  at  JnIl««town    d^rinj  1  s  Ti  f""'"^ 

of  their  detachment,  out"ff  Z  't  '  f  T'  """^  °°° 
marching  from  DnbBn  to  :!2Z  2  In  brtC'^ 
«..  .nveatment  was  compI,te,  the  vigiUnt  0^:™ 'or  el  «:!' 

r,:ne::erSer  tntrr  :•  '"""^ 

.»g  that  nnion  of  Catholic,  o^:r:Srw1'icrt;ferder:f- 
the  Confederacy  ,o  ardently  deeired  to  bri„„  about  Th.T, 
,v„w,d  maxio.  w..  that  the  more  me.  reb^eUed!!  mo:. 


Ml 

I 


ni 


502 


POPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND. 


•States  there  would  be  to  confiscate.    In  Munster,  their  chief 
instruments  were  the  aged  Earl  of  Cork,  still  insatiable  as  ever 
for  other  men's  possessions,  and  the  President  St.  Leger ;  m 
Leinster,  Sir  Charles  Coote.    Lord  Cork  prepared  1,100  indict- 
ments against  men  of  property  in  his  Province,  which  he  sent 
to  the  Speaker  of  the  Long  Parliament,  with  an  urgent  request 
that  they  might  be  returned  to  him,  with  authority  to  proceed 
against  the  parties  named,  as  outlaws.    In  Leinster,  4,000 
similar  indictments  were  found  in  the  course  o:'  two  days  by 
the  free  use  of  the  rack  with  witnesses.    Sir  John  Read,  an 
officer  of  the  Kng's  Bedchamber,  and  Mr.  Barnwall,  of  Kil- 
biue,  a  gentleman  of  three  score  and  six,  were  among  those 
who  underwent  the  torture.    When  these  were  the  proceedings 
of  the  tribunals  in  peaceable  cities,  we  may  imagine  what 
must  have  been  the  excesses   of  the  soldiery  in  the   open 
country.  In  the  South  Sir  William  St.  Leger  directed  a  series 
of  murderous  raids  upon  the  peasantry  of  Cork,  which  at 
length   produced  their  natural  effect.    Lord  Muskerry  and 
othtr  leading  rescusants,  who  had  offered  their  services  to 
maintain  the  peace  of  the  Province,  were  driven  by  an  insulu 
ing  refusal  to  combine  for  their  own  protection.    The  1,100 
indictments  of  Lord  Cork  soon  swelled  their  ranks,  and  the 
capture  of  the  ancient  city  of  Cashel  by  Philip   O'Dwyer 
announced  the  insurrection  of  the  South.    Waterford  soon 
after  opened  its  gates  to  Colonel  Edmund  Butler;  Wexford 
declared  for  the  Catholic  cause,  and  Kilkenny  surrendered  to 
Lord  Mountgarret.    In  Wicklow  Coote's  troopers  committed 
murders  such  as  had  not  been  equalled  since  the  days  of  the 
Pacran  Northmen.    Little  children  were  carried  aloft  writhing 
on  "the  pikes  of  these  barbarians,  whose  worthy  commander 
confessed  that  "  he  liked  such  frolics."    Neither  age  nor  sex 
was  spared,  and  an  ecclesiastic  was  especially  certain  of 
instant  death.    Fathers  Higgins  and  White  of  Naas,  in  Kildare. 
were  given  up  by  Coote  to  these  "  lambs,"  though  each  had 
been  granted  a  safe  conduct  by  his  superior  officer,  Lord 
Ormond.    And  these  murders  were  taking  place  at  the  very 
time  when  the  Franciscans  and  Jesuits  of  Cashel  were  pro- 
tecting Dr.  Pullen,  the  Protestant  Chancellor  of  that  Cathedral 


:^««»«'*»«'*;i-5»4iSs.«r*wiSI^^^;-,  X 


I! 


WPULAR   HISTORY    OF   IRELAND.  503 

and  other  Protestant  prisoners;  while  also  the  Castle  of 
Clottghoiiter,  in  Cavan,  the  residence  of  Wil  '''^^f "®  *»' 
crowded  with  Protestant  fugifTves  aH  of  wt  "^  ^^"''  "'' 
guarded  by  the  chivalrox^  ^M^VLty  ""  ""'""' 

At  length  the  Catholic  Lords  of  the  Pile  began  to  feel  the 

of  mmketeeT Ir         ''°™'>^'=''-  «<=«mpanied  by  .  guard 
Boner,  Colonel  Byrne  anri  fnr.foj    r-         "'^^'^'^^^  of  the  pri- 

for  the  Zao^ta  t,r™*a:i?^  °°"""'"  *'"'^^ "' 

HnU;n„  o  *  ^"giana.      Lord  Oormanstown,  after  con- 

sultmg  a  few  moments  with  his  friends,  replied  •  "  seeTnlthZ 
be  your  true  ends  we  w"l  lik«w!,a  ,•«•       -/u      *  ^  *^®''® 

—   —  — --iixuoi. 


504 


FOPULAR  BISTORT  OF  IBEIiAND. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THB    CATHOLIC   CONFEDERATION — ITS   CIVIL   aOVEBNMENT   AND 
HILITABT   ESTABLI«HXENT. 

How  a  tumultuous  insurrection  grew  into  a  national  organ- 
ization, with  a  senate,  executive,  treasury,  army,  ships  and 
diplomacy,  we  are  now  to  describe.    It  may,  however,  be  as- 
sumed throughout  the  narrative,  that  the  success  of  the  new 
Confederacy  was  quite  as  much  to  be  attributed  to  the  per- 
verse policy  of  its  enemies  as  to  the  counsels  of  its  best  lead- 
ers.   The  rising  in  the  midland  and  Munster  counties,  and  the 
formal  adhesion  of  the  Lords  of  the  Pale,  were  two  of  the 
principal  steps  towards  the  end.    A  third  was  taken  by  the 
Bishops  of  the  Province  of  Armagh,  assembled  in  Provincial 
Synod  at  Kells,  on  the  22d  of  March,  1642,  where,  with  the 
exception  of  Dease,  of  Meath,  they  unanimously  pronounced 
"  the  war  just  and  lawful."    After  solemnly  condemning  all 
acts  of  private  vengeance,  and  all  those  who  usurped  other 
men's  estates,  this  provincial  meeting  invited  a  national  synod 
to  meet  at  Kilkenny  on  the  10th  day  of  May  following.    On 
that  day  accordingly,  eM  the  Prelates  then  in  the  country, 
with  the  exception  of  Bishop  Dease,  mot  at  Kilkenny.    There 
were  present  O'Reilly,  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  Butler,  Arch- 
bishop of  Cashel,  O'Kealy,  Archbishop  of  Tuam,  David  Rothe, 
the  venerable  Bishop  of  Ossory,  the  Bishops  of   Clonfert, 
Elphin,  Waterford,  Lismore,  Kildare,  and  Down  and  Connor; 
the  proctors  of  Dublin,  Limerick  and  Killaloe,  with  sixteen 
other  dignitaries  and  heads  of  religious  orders— in  all  twenty- 
nine  prelates  and  superiors,  or  their  representatives.    The 
most  remarkable  attendants  were,  considering  the  circum- 
stances of  their  Province,  the  prelates  of  Connaught.    Straf- 
ford's reign  of  terror  wf,s  still  painfully  remembered  west  of 
tha  Shannon,   and  the  immense  family  influence  of  Ulick 
Burke,  then  Earl,  and  afterwards  Marquis  of  Clanrickardo, 


^S^^ttrnvfi^sim^ 


POPULAR  HISTORY  OF  IRELAND. 


505 


was  exerted  to  prevent  the  adhesion  of  the  western  population 
to  the  Confederacy.  But  the  iseal  of  the  Archbishop  of  Tuara, 
and  the  violence  of  the  Governor  of  Galway,  Sir  Francis  Wil' 
loughby,  proved  more  than  a  counterpoise  for  the  authority  o! 
Clanrickarde  and  the  recollection  of  Strafford:  Connaught, 
though  the  last  to  come  into  the  Confederation,  was  also  the 
last  to  abandon  it. 

The  Synod  of  Kilkenny  proceeded  with  the  utmost  solem- 
nity and  anxiety  to  consider  the  circumstances  of  their  own  and 
the  neighboring  kingdoms.    No  equal  number  of  men  could 
have  been  found  in  Ireland,  at  that  day,  with  an  equal  amount 
of  knowledge  of  foreign  and  domestic  politics.    Many  of  them 
had  spent  years  upon  the  Continent,  while  the  French  Hugue- 
nots held  their  one  hundred  "  cautionary  towns,"  and  "  leagues" 
and  "associations"  were  the  ordinary  instruments  of  popular 
resistance  in  the  Netherlands  and  Germany.     Nor  were  the 
events  transpiring  in  the  neighboring  island  unknown  or  un- 
weighed  by  that  grave  assembly.    Tie  true  meaning  and  in- 
tent of  the  Scottish  and  English  insurrections  were  by  this  time 
apparent  to  every  one.    The  previous  months  had  been  eepe- 
cially  fertile  in  events,  calculated  to  reuse  their  most  serious 
apprehensions.    In  March  the  King  fled  from  London  to  York ; 
in  April  the  gates  of  Hull  were  shut  'n  his  face  by  Hotham  its 
governor,  and  in  May  the  Long  Parliament  voted  a  levy  of 
16,000  without  the  royal  authority.    The  Earl  of  Warwick  had 
been  appointed  the  Parliamentary  commander  of  the  fleet  and 
the  Earl  of  Essex,  their  Lord  General,  with  Cromwell  as  one 
of  his  captains.    From  that  hour  it  was  evident  the  sword 
alone  could   decide   between  Cha.-les  and  his  subjects.     In 
Scotland,  too,  events  were  occurring  in  which  Jf  ish  Catholics 
were  vitally  interested.    The  contest  for  the  leadership  of  the 
Scottish  royalists  between  the  Marquises  of  Hamilton  and 
Montrose  had  occupied  the  early  months  of  the  year   and 
given  their  enemies  of  the  Kirk  anl  the  Assembly  full  time  to 
carry  on  their  correspondence  with  the  English  Puritans.    In 
April  all  parties  in  Scotland  agreed  in  despatching  a  force  of 
2,500  men,  under  "the  memorable  Major  Monroe,"  for  the 
protection  of  the  Scottish  settlers  in  Ulster.    On  the  15th  of 
4o 


60# 


rOPCLAR  niSTOKT  OF  ihelanik 


that  month  this  officer  landed  at  Carriekfergra,  which  wai 
"  given  np  to  hire  by  agreement,"  >vith  the  royaliHl  Colonel 
CThichester ;  the  fortress,  which  was  by  much  the  strongest  in 
that  quarter,  continued  for  six  years  the  head-qnarfera  of  the 
flcottish  general,  with  whom  wo  shall  hare  occasion  to  meet 
■gain. 

The  state  of  Anglo-Irish  affairs  was  for  some  months  one  of 
disorganization  and  confusion.  In  January  and  February  the 
King  had  been  frequently  induced  to  denounce  by  proclama- 
tion his  "  Irish  rehels."  He  had  offered  the  Parliament  to 
lead  their  reinforcements  in  person,  had  urged  the  sending  of 
arms  and  men,  and  had  repeatedly  declared  that  he  would 
never  consent  to  tolerate  Popery  ia  that  country.  He  had 
failed  to  satisfy  his  enemies,  by  these  profuse  professions  had 
dishonored  himself,  and  disgusted  many  who  were  far  from 
heir^g  hostile  to  his  person  or  family.  Parsons  and  Borlase 
Were  still  continued  in  the  government,  and  Coote  was  en- 
trusted  by  them,  on  all  possible  occasions,  with  a  command 
distinct  from  that  of  Ormond.  Having  proclaimed  the  Lords 
of  the  Pale  rebels  for  refusing  to  trust  their  persons  within 
the  walls  of  Dublin,  Coote  was  employed  during  January  (o 
destroy  Swords,  their  place  of  rendezvous,  and  to  ravage  the 
estates  of  their  adherents  in  that  neighborhood.  In  the  same 
month  1,100  veterans  arrived  at  Dublin  under  Sir  Simon  Ear- 
court;  early  in  February  arrived  Sir  Richard  Grenville  with 
400  horse,  and  soon  after  Lieutenant-Colonel  George  Monk, 
afterwards  Duke  of  Albemarle,  with  Lord  Leicester's  regi- 
ment, 1,500  strong.  Up  to  this  period  Ormond  had  been 
restrained  hy  the  justices,  who  were  as  timid  as  they  were 
cruel,  to  operations  within  an  easy  march  of  Dublin.  &e  had 
driven  t?>e  O'Moores  and  their  Allies  out  of  Naas ;  had  rein- 
forced some  garrisons  hi  Kildare ;  he  had  broken  up,  though 
not  without  much  loss,  an  entrenched  camp  of  the  O'Byrnes 
at  Kilsalgen  wood,  on  the  borders  of  Dublin ;  at  last  the 
Justices  felt  secure  enough,  at  the  beginning  of  March,  to 
allow  him  to  march  to  the  relief  of  Drogheda.  Sir  Phelim 
CNefl  had  invested  the  place  for  more  than  three  months, 
had  beien  twice  repulsed  from  its  wallg,  made  a  last  desperate 


POPUI^AR  BISTORT   OF  IRELAND. 


607 


attempt  toward,  the  end  of  February,  but  with  no  better  «uc. 

was  obted  T\         T"  ^'''  '^'  ^"P^*"""»  lawyer-soldier 
OrlnJ^  r*  '"^  ^"  '^^  ^'^  ^f  ^'^'-^h,  hearin«  of 

Ormonds  approach  at  the  head  of  4.000  fresh   troops    he 
hastny  retreated  northward.    On  receiving  this  report  the  iul 

Lo^d  7         ''™':'  *^  ''^  =*'^'^' '  «'^  H-'^  Tichburne  and 
Lord  Moore  were  despatched  with  a  strong  force,  on  the  rear 

L^\^    Z     '""''  *"^  '^'"'^  '^'"^  0"t  of  Ardee  and  Dun- 
fnti  M    1  .  J  f  "■  *  '^*"P  *""^-    The  march  of  Ormond 
^n  o  Meath  had.  however,  been  prodcutive  of  offers  of  sub 
mission  from  many  of  the  gentry  of  the  Pale,  who  attended 
the  meetings  at  Croftv  and  Tarr      t  nr^  n  ^  aii-onaea 

Blane  offered  by  letter  to  follow  their  e^,„,pl„  bnt  the  two 
fomier  were,  on  reaching  the  city,  thr„„  into  he  dungeon" 

1  ,.«        ■    '  "^'^  °'  ""  •""'"=•"  «■>'•  "-  Propoil,  Of 

^LT'/""':''^''^  '^"'  «""'"'»«"'■  A"""'  «>e  »n.e 
time  the  long  Parliament  passed  an  act  declarlne  2  500  onn 
acre,  „f  the  property  of  Irish  recnsant,  forfeited  ,^  the  ^^T 
to  th'eT'"'"'  l"  ?  ^"^"*  ""O-"'— "  contrib««rg 
granto  of  land  in  proportion  to  their  sorrico  and  coni 
tr.but.„„.  This  act,  and  a  letter  from  Lord  ZL  the 
Par hamentarian  Commander-in-Chief.  recommendingThe  tWns! 
r,  rr  »'  ««?'"•«  recusants  to  the  West  Indian  Colo, 
me    effectually  put  a  stop  to  these  negotiations.    In  Ulster 

nnleers,  m  the  garrison  or  in  the  field.    Newry  was  taken  iv 
Monroe  and  Chichester,  where  80  men  and  women  and"^ 

and  McMahon  Monaghan,  Sir  Phelim  was  driven  to  burn 
Armagh  and  l>uncaBnon,  and  to  take  his  last  stand  at  Charle- 
raont.  In  a  severe  action  with  Sir  Robert  and  Sir  William 
S  ewart  he  had  displayed  hi,  usual  courage  with  better  tha" 
hs  usual  fortune,  which,  perhaps,  we  may  attribute  to  the 
presence  w,th  him  of  Sir  Alexander  McDonnell,  brother  t' 
Lord  Antrim,  the  famou,  O,mio  of  the  Irish  and  Scottish 


508 


POTOLAR   HISTORY   OF    IRKULVD. 


wars.  But  the  sererest  defeat  'vhlch  the  Confederates  had 
was  in  the  heart  of  Leinster,  at  the  hamlet  of  Kiirush,  within 
four  miles  of  Athy.  Lord  Orraond,  returning  from  a  second 
reinforcement  cf  Naaa  and  other  Kildare  forts,  at  the  head,  by 
English  account,  of  4,000  men,  found  on  the  18th  of  April 
the  Catholics  of  the  midland  counties,  under  Lords  Mountgar- 
ret,  Tkorrin  and  Dunboyne,  Sir  Morgan  Cavenagh,  Rory 
O'Moore,  and  Hugh  O'Byrne,  drawn  up,  by  his  report,  8,000 
strong,  to  dispute  his  passage.  With  Ormond  were  the  Lord 
Dillon,  Lord  Brabazon,  Sir  Richard  Grenville,  Sir  Charles 
Coote,  and  Sir  T.  Lucas.  The  combat  was  short  nt  murder- 
ous. The  Confederates  left  700  men,  including  Hir  Morgan 
Cavenagh,  and  some  other  officers,  dead  on  the  field  ;  the 
remainder  retreated  in  disorder,  and  Ormond,  with  an  inconsid- 
erable diminution  of  numbers,  returned  in  triumph  to  Dublin. 
For  this  victory  the  Long  Parliament,  in  a  moment  of  enthu- 
siasm, voted  the  LieutenantOeneral  a  jewel  worth  £500.  If 
any  satisfaction  could  be  derived  from  such  an  incident  the 
violent  death  of  their  most  ruthless  enemy.  Sir  Charles  Coote, 
might  have  afforded  the  Catholics  some  consolation.  That  mer- 
ciless saberer,  after  the  combat  at  Kiirush,  had  been  employed 
in  reiniorcing  Birr,  and  relieving  the  Castle  of  Qeashill,  which 
the  lady  Lstitia  of  Offally  held  against  the  neighboring  tribe  of 
O'Dempsey.  On  his  return  fro'-^  this  service  he  made  a  foray 
against  a  Catholic  force,  which  had  mustered  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Trim ;  here,  on  the  night  of  the  7th  of  May,  heading 
a  sally  of  uis  troop  he  fell  by  a  musket  shot — not  without  sus- 
picion of  beiij^  fired  from  his  own  ranks.  His  son  and  name- 
sake, who  imitated  him  in  all  things,  was  ennobled  at  the 
restoration  by  the  title  of  the  Earl  of  Mountrath.  In  Muudter 
the  President  St.  Leger,  though  lately  reinforced  by  1,000 
men  from  England,  did  not  consider  himself  strong  enough 
fi.i  other  than  occasional  forays  into  the  neighboring  county, 
and  little  was  effected  in  that  Province. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  at  home  and  abroad  when 
the  National  Synod  assembled  at  Kilkenny.  As  the  most 
popular  tribunal  invested  with  the  highest  moral  power  in  the 
kingdom,  it  was  their  arduous  task  to  establish  order  and 


FOFULAR   niSTORT  OF   IRELAWD.  509 

thority  among  the  chaotic  elementa  of  the  revolution     Br 
he  atoon  of  those  mo«t  opponed  to  them  they  conducted 
the.r  dehberat.ons  for  nearly  three  weeks  with  equal  prudence 
and  energy.    They  flrst.  on  the  motion  of  the  venerable  Bishop 
Rothe,  framed  an  oath  of  association  to  be  publicly  taken  by 
all  (he.r  adherents,  by  the  first  part  of  which  they  were  bound 
to  bear     true  faith  and  allegiance"  to  King  Charles  and  hi« 
awful  successors,  "  to  maintain  the  fundamental  laws  of  Ire- 
land, the  free  exercise  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  and  reli- 
gion,        By   the  second  part  of  this  oafh  all  Confederate 
Cathohcs-for  so  they  wore  to  be  called-as  solemnly  bound 
themselves  never  to  accept  or  submit  to  any  peace  "  without 
the  consent  and  approbation  of  the  general  assemblv  of  the 
said  Confederate  Catholics."     They  then  proceeded  to  make 
certain  constitutions,  declaring  the  war  just  and  lawful  •  con- 
demnmg  emulations  and  distinctions  founded  on  distinctions 
of  race,  such  as  "  new"  and  "  old  Irish  ;"  ordaining  an  elective 
council  for  each  Province  ;  and  a  Supreme  or  National  Coun- 
c.l  for  tho  whole  kingdom  ;  condemning  as  excommunicate 
all  who  should,  having  taken  the   oath,  violate  it,  or  who 
should  be  guilty  of  murder,  violence  to  persons,  or  plunder 
under  pretence  of  the  war.    Although  the  attendance  of  the 
ay  leaders  of  the  movement  at  Kilkenny  was  far  from  general 
the  exigencies  of  the  case  compelled  them  to  nominate,  with 
the  concurrence  of  the  Bishops,  the  first  Supreme  Council  of 
which    Lord    Montgarret  was    chosen    President,    and    Mr 
Richard  Belling,  an  accomplished  writer  and  lawyer,  Secre* 
tary.     By  this  body  a  General  Assembly  of  the  entire  Nation 
was  summoned  to  meet  at  the  same  city,  on  the  28a  of  October 
fo  lowmg-the  anniversary  of  the  Ulster  rising,  commonly 
called   by  the  English  party  "  Lord  Maguire's  day "    The 
choice  Of  «,ch  an   occasion  by  men  of  Mountgarret's  and 
Belling  s  moderation  and  judgment,  six  months  after  the 
date  of  the  alleged  "massacre,"  would  form  another  proof 
If  any  were  now  needed,  that  none  of  the  alleged  atrocities' 
were  yet  associated  with  the  memory  of  that  particular  dav 

The  events  of  the  five  months,  which  intervened  between 
the  adjournment  of  the  National  Syuod    at  the  end  of  May 


r^ 


610 


POFULAll   mBTOKT   OT   IRKLAND. 


■nd  the  meeting  of  the  General  AMerably  on  the  28d  o(  Octo< 
ber,  may  best  be  Hummed  up  under  the  head  of  the  refipective 
provinces.  I.  The  oath  of  Confederation  was  taben  with  en- 
thudlasm  in  Mnnster,  a  Provincial  Council  rlected,  and  Gen- 
eral Barry  chosen  Commander- in  Chief.  Barry  made  an 
attempt  upon  Cork,  which  was  repulsed,  but  a  few  days  Inter 
the  not  less  important  city  of  Limerick  opened  Us  gates  to 
the  Confederates,  and  on  the  21st  of  June  the  citadel  wus 
breached  and  snrrendernd  by  Courtenay,  the  Governor.  On 
the  2d  of  July  St.  Leger  died  at  Cork  (it  was  said  of  vexation 
for  the  loss  of  Limerick),  and  the  command  devolved  on  hki 
son-in-law,  Lord  Inchiquin,  a  pnpil  of  the  school  of  Wards, 
and  a  soldier  of  the  school  of  Sir  Charles  Coote.  With  Inchi- 
quin was  associated  the  Earl  of  Darrymore  for  the  civil  admin- 
istration, but  on  Barrymore's  death  in  September  both  powei-s 
remained  for  twelve  months  in  the  hands  of  the  survivor.  The 
gain  of  Limerick  was  followed  by  the  taking  of  Loughgar 
and  Askeaton,  but  was  counterbalanced  by  the  defeat  of  Lis- 
carroll,  when  the  Irish  loss  was  800  men  with  several  colors ; 
Inchiquin  reported  only  20  killed,  including  the  young  lord 
Kinalmeaky,  one  of  the  five  sons  whom  the  Earl  of  Cork  gave 
to  this  war.  II.  In  Connaught  Lord  Clanrickarde  was  still 
enal/led  to  avert  a  general  outbreak.  In  vain  the  western 
Prelates  besought  him  in  a  pathetic  remonstrance  to  place 
himself  at  the  head  of  its  injured  inhabitants,  and  take  the 
command  of  the  Province.  He  continued  to  play  a  middle 
part  between  the  President,  Lord  Ranelagh,  Sir  Charles  Coote 
the  younger,  and  Willoughby,  Governor  of  Galway,  until  the 
popular  impajtience  burst  all  control.  The  chief  of  the  O'Fla- 
hertys  seized  Clanrlckarde's  castle,  of  Aughrenure,  and  the 
young  men  of  Galway,  with  a  skill  and  decision  quite  equal  to 
that  of  the  Derry  apprentices  of  an  after  day,  seized  an  English 
ship  containing  arms  and  supplies,  lying  in  the  bay,  marched 
to  the  Church  of  Saint  Nicholas,  took  the  Confederate  oath, 
and  shut  Willoughby  up  in  the  citadel.  Clanrickarde  hastened 
to  extinguish  this  spark  of  resistance,  and  induced  the  towns- 
men to  capitulate  on  his  personal  guarantee.  But  Willoughby, 
on  the  arrival  of  reinforcements,  under  the  fanatical  Lord 


POPULAR  BlOTOKy  0/  IMCUNO.  (|H 

F6rb««  at  once  wt  the  truoe  made  by  OlanrlckardeatdeOance 
Imrned   he  suburbs,  sacked  the  Churches,  and  during  August' 
and  September  exercised  a  reign  of  terror  in  the  town     Abou 
the  same  t^e  local  risings  took  place  In  Sl.go,  Mayo  and  Ros- 
common, at  first  with  such  success  that  the  President  of  the 
Province.  Lord  Ranelagh.  shut  himself  up  In  the  castle  of  Ath- 
one,  where  he  was  closely  besieged.    UI.  In  Leinster.  no  miU- 
tary  movement  of  much  importance  was  made,  in  consequence 
of  the  jealousy  the  Justices  entertained  of  Ormond,  and  the 
emptmess  of  the  treasury.    In  June,  the  Long  Parliament  re, 

ri^fT.       ^*'""^  '""^  ^^  ^"'^  *^  the  Justices,  and 
-.000  of  the  troops,  which  had  all  but  mutinied  for  their  pay 
were  despatched  under  Ormond  to  the  reUef  of  Athlone.    Com' 
anssioners  arrived  during  the  summer  appointed  by  the  Par- 

rslmirr  ""  ?  '^""  "'  '^*"^°^'  *«  -^«-  'he  Jus. 
tices  submitted  a  penal  code  worthy  of  the  brain  of  Draco  or 

Domuian;  Ormond  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  Marquis,  by  the 

dilldJdt      !'.'  ""^'^  ^^^'^^^^'^  grew  more' and  ml 
divided,  by  intrigues  emanating  from  the  castle  and  beyond 

Ear,  of  cl  .      "'  '''  "^^'^^^  ^'  ^•^*«^«^'  '^^^'  Touchet, 
Earl  of  Castlehaven,  an  adventurous  nobleman,  possessed  of 

large    estates    both    in   Ireland  and    England    eifeced  hTs 

escape  from  Dublin  Castle,  where  he  had   bel  imTHsoned 

on  suspicon  by  Parsons  and  Borkse,  and  joined  the  Con- 

Pre^  "Jh"'/"^""^-  '°  '«P**«"^-'  Colonel  ThomL 
Preston,  the  brare  defender  of  Louvain.  uncle  to  Lord  Go^ 
ma..town,  landed  at  Wexford,  with  three  frigates  and  several 

Irrjofflr^'T  '^^  "'''  «""^'  ««'^'--'  -<^  "he 
stores,  590  officers,  and  a  number  of  engineers.    IV   In  Ulster 

where  the  first  blow  was  struck  and  the  first  hopes  we^t^ 

cited,  the  prospect  had  become  suddenly  overclouded.   Monroe 

took  Dunluce  from  Lord  Antrim  by  the  same  stratagem  b^ 

which  Sir  Phelim  took  Charlemont-invlting  himseff  1  a 

dial  c' "  T'f  ''^  '"*  *'  '•«  -^  *^^'-  ^  ~ -r! 
dial  co-opera  ion  between  the  Scotch  commander  and  "the 
Undertakers"  alone  prevented  them  extinguishing  one 
vigorous  campaign  the  northern  insurrection.  So  ^eak  and 
di-organized  were  now  the  thoi»ands  who  had  risen  aTa  bound 


512 


POPULAR  HISTORY   OP   IRELAND. 


one  Hliort  year  before,  that  the  garrisons  of  Enniskillen,  Deny, 
Newry  and  Drogheda,  scoured  almost  unopposed  the  neigh- 
boring counties.    The  troops  of  Cole,  Hamilton,  the  Stewarts, 
Chicbesters  and  Conways,  found  little  opposition  and  gave  no 
quarter.    Sir  William  Cole,  among  his  claims  of  service  ren- 
dered to  the  State,  enumerated  "  7,000  of  the  rebels  famished 
io  death,"  within  a  circuit  of  a  few  miles  from  Enniskillen. 
The  disheartened  and  disorganized  natives  were  seriously 
deliberating  a  wholesale  emigration  to  the  Scottish  highlands, 
when  a  word  of  magic  eflFect  was  whispered  from  the  sea  coast 
to  the  interior.    On  the  6th  of  July  Colonel  Owen  Roe  O'Neil 
arrived  off  Donegal  with  a  single  ship,  a  single  company  of 
veterans,  100  officers,  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  ammu- 
nition.   He  landed  at  Doe  Castle,  and  was  escorted  by  his 
kinsman.  Sir  Phelim,  to  the  fort  of  Charlemont.    A  general 
meeting  of  the  northern  clans  was  quickly  called  at  Clones,  in 
Monaghan,  and  there,  on  an  early  day  after  his  arrival,  Owen 
O'Neil  was  elected  "General-in-Chief  of  the  Catholic  Army" 
of  the  North,  Sir  Phelim  resigning  in  his  favor,  and  taking 
instead    the    barren    title    of   "  President    of   Ulster."      At 
the  same  moment  Lord  Lieven  arrived  from  Scotland  with 
the  remainder  of  the  10,000  voted  by  the  Parliament  of  that 
kingdom.     He  had  known  O'Neil  abroad,  had  a  high  opinion 
of  his  abilities,  and  wrot«  to  express  his  surprise  "  that  a  man 
of  his  reputation  should  be  engaged  in  so  bad  a  cause  ;"  to 
which  O'Neil  replied  that  "  he  had  a  better  right  to  come  to 
the  relief  of  his  own  country  than  his  lordship  had  to  march 
into  England  against  his  lawful  King."    Lieven,  before  return- 
ing home,  urged  Monroe  to  act  with  promptitude,  for  that  he 
might  expect  a  severe  lesson  if  the  new  commander  once  suc- 
ceeded in  collecting  an  army.    But  Monroe  proved  deaf  to 
this  advice-  and  whiie  the  Scottish  ai.d  English  forces  in  the 
Province  would  have  amounted,  if  united,  to  20,000  foot  and 
1,000  horse,  they  gave  O'Neil  time  enough  to  embody,  oflScer, 
drill,  and  arm  (at  least  provisionally),  a   force  not  to   be 
despised  by  even  twice  their  numbers. 


END   OF   VOL.    I. 


^v 


-fc-^ 


<^' 


